Expressing support for States to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act to close the Medicaid coverage gap.

Subjects: Health, Health care coverage and access, Medicaid, State and local government operations

Summary:  <p>This resolution urges states that have not yet expanded Medicaid under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to do so. It also expresses support for H.R. 31, which establishes a demonstration program to allow local governments to provide health benefits to the Medicaid expansion population in states that have not expanded Medicaid.</p>

<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 122 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 122

 Expressing support for States to expand Medicaid under the Affordable 
              Care Act to close the Medicaid coverage gap.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 10, 2023

  Mr. Davis of North Carolina (for himself, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Johnson of 
 Georgia, Mr. Doggett, Mr. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Mr. Allred, Mr. 
    Thompson of Mississippi, and Ms. Ross) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing support for States to expand Medicaid under the Affordable 
              Care Act to close the Medicaid coverage gap.

Whereas more than 2,200,000 low-income, uninsured adults fall into the Medicaid 
        coverage gap because State governments have been unable to reach a 
        consensus on expansion;
Whereas closing the Medicaid coverage gap will reduce the national uninsured 
        rate by nearly 10 percent;
Whereas closing the Medicaid coverage gap will generate upward of $5,000,000,000 
        in revenue for State and local governments and nearly $130,000,000,000 
        for the Federal Government to reinvest in our communities;
Whereas closing the Medicaid coverage gap will prevent hospital closures, 
        particularly in rural areas that have seen more than 150 hospital 
        closures in the last decade;
Whereas hospitals were 6 times less likely to close in States that expanded 
        Medicaid between 2008 and 2016;
Whereas financial margins for hospitals improved by 33 percent because 
        uncompensated care spending dropped following Medicaid expansion in the 
        first 36 States to adopt it;
Whereas 39 States governed by both Democratic and Republican elected officials 
        have already adopted Medicaid expansion;
Whereas it is unreasonable to expect an individual earning less than $13,000 per 
        year to afford health insurance, regardless of employment status;
Whereas 1 American who falls into the Medicaid coverage gap dies per day without 
        access to lifesaving health care;
Whereas communities of color have been disproportionately disadvantaged by the 
        failure to expand Medicaid and close the coverage gap; and
Whereas Congress has a responsibility to provide accessible, high-quality health 
        care to all Americans regardless of socioeconomic status: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) urges the remaining 11 States that have yet to expand 
        Medicaid and close the Medicaid coverage gap to do so;
            (2) expresses support for H.R. 31, the COVER Now Act, as a 
        temporary measure to close the Medicaid coverage gap;
            (3) recognizes the economic and health care benefits of 
        expanding Medicaid for hospitals, health care workers, the low-
        income, nonelderly, uninsured population in the coverage gap, 
        and the labor market; and
            (4) will support the cause of expanding Medicaid to 
        uninsured Americans in the coverage gap unless and until the 11 
        nonexpansion States move forward with expansion.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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