Medicaid Debate Is Also About Race
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June 7 (Bloomberg) -- At least 14 states, including Texas,Mississippi and South Carolina, oppose taking federal money toexpand their Medicaid programs under Obamacare. That's badfiscal policy: As two RAND Corporation scholars wrote this week,those states will see an annual net loss of $8.4 billion infederal money as a result.
Turning down the new Medicaid money is bad policy inanother sense: It could worsen racial inequality. Advocates ofexpansion have avoided talking about this, perhaps for fear ofpolarizing the debate, but Census figures make clear thatMedicaid and race are inextricably linked.