By CAP Action War Room

More Red States Are Deciding That Closing The Coverage Gap Is The Right Move

The news today that, through December 12, there have been 2.5 million signups in the second year of open enrollment is another indication of the success the Affordable Care Act is having in bringing health care to millions of Americans. The website has been withstanding surges in traffic, too.

But there is more evidence that the law is working. As the holiday season approaches, conservative-led states previously committed to resisting the Affordable Care Act at all costs are doing a funny thing. With the 2014 elections behind them, more and more red state governors are announcing that they support accepting federal funding to close the coverage gap and provide affordable healthcare to families. While we hope that state legislatures will come on board with these state executives and approve plans quickly, in some cases it could be a long slog from governors announcing a deal to these same governors signing legislation. Despite that, this news is incredibly encouraging:

• Yesterday, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam announced Insure Tennessee, a federal-state hybrid program that could bring coverage to more than 160,000 Tennesseans. A recent poll found that 58 percent of registered Tennessee voters supported taking federal funding to expand coverage for low-income Tennesseans.
• Earlier this month, Wyoming Governor Matt Mead announced his support for his state’s version of Medicaid expansion, which could cover up to 17,600 Wyomingites.
• Also earlier this month, Utah Governor Gary Herbert released his plan to expand coverage in his state, which would go beyond closing Utah’s coverage gap and could provide insurance for 77,000 Utahns.
• Newly-elected Alaska Governor Bill Walker, an independent, continued his campaign to expand Medicaid from the campaign trail into his administration, though he will face stiff resistance from the Republican statehouse to bring affordable health care to 40,000 Alaskans.
• According to reports, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe (D), undeterred after Republicans blocked him from expanding Medicaid to 400,000 Virginians, will continue to push for Medicaid expansion in 2015, despite facing long odds.

Since it is the holiday season, it would not be complete without a Grinch. That would be Kansas Governor Sam Brownback. Fresh off a tough re-election fight where he had to defend his tax cuts that blew a huge whole in the budget and deepened the recession’s damage to state services, Brownback has to continue to try and stitch together a balanced budget. His new idea to fill that pothole, however, is to use funds available to Kansas in part due to savings through the Affordable Care Act. Kansas received about $30 million thanks to the ACA through Medicaid, but instead of using that money to pay for Medicaid, Brownback wants to use it to replace the money given out in tax cuts disproportionately to the wealthy.

BOTTOM LINE: Despite setbacks by obstructionist Republicans, the Affordable Care Act’s fight to expand coverage to millions more Americans is not over. Expanding health coverage and closing the coverage gap is good for state budgets, for state economies, and of course for the uninsured. More red states are realizing this now, and we’ll bet even more will in the year to come.

I heard you.

Recently, I asked you to tell me your top priority for the session. Thousands of Washingtonians told me, “Fund the schools.”

I listened, and last night, I announced my top priority for the next legislative session — and a real plan for action.

The $2.2 billion proposal I outlined last night lays out plans to improve education at all levels, including a $1.3 billion investment in basic education — the largest our state has seen in two decades — that would reduce class sizes in early grades, implement full-day kindergarten, and cover special education and school costs. And the $130 million investment in early education I’ve proposed would be our largest ever.

But with a plan this ambitious, you can bet there will be naysayers — opponents who will claim that it costs too much, that it can’t be done, or that it’s just not a priority for Washington voters.

I need you to help me prove them wrong, and show we have the momentum to pass this plan.

Do you believe Washington students deserve real action on education in the upcoming legislative session? Click here to learn more about my plan and show your support.

Our state is long overdue for a plan that takes education seriously.

Almost three years ago, the Washington Supreme Court unanimously declared that our state had failed to fulfill its constitutional duty to amply provide for education — and that it needed to take immediate action.

Since taking office, I’ve already delivered $1 billion in additional funds to fill in the gap, fighting tooth and nail for every dime. But some leaders still want to kick the can down the road, even after the court held the legislature in contempt earlier this year.

But today’s students shouldn’t be robbed of a high-quality education with only vague promises for action in the future. They deserve immediate action.

If we succeed in passing my plan, we’ll invest in the full continuum of education from early learning to higher education, with greater access and affordability, higher graduation rates, and increased investments in quality educators and administrators.

And with a $26.4 million investment in math and science education in colleges and universities and job training and education for adults without a diploma, we’ll create new jobs by showing employers that building their factories, laboratories, and offices in Washington will give them access to some of the best educated workers in the country.

But to make that happen, I need your help to show that Washington demands action now — not years down the road.

Help me pass a plan that puts Washington students first and prepares them for the jobs of the future. Click here to read more about my plan to improve education, and declare your support.

A comprehensive plan on this scale has been a long time coming, and our kids have waited long enough. Thanks for helping build the support I need to take action now.

Very truly yours,

Jay Inslee