Senate Votes Against Medicaid Expansion

The Wyoming Senate on Friday voted against a plan to expand Medicaid in Wyoming by a 19-11 margin.

Senator Charlie Scott (R-Casper) was among those arguing against approval. Scott told the senate that the bill as written 'really doesn't have any meaningful cost controls". He also argued the expansion would only reduce the cost of uncompensated care to Wyoming hospitals by 7 to 10 percent.

But he said the biggest argument against the bill is that the federal government, sooner or later, will back out of it's promise to pick up 90 percent of the cost. He said that would leave Wyoming on the hook for roughly $60 million, which would have to come out of other programs.

Senator Micheal Von Flatern (R-Gillette) argued the expansion would bring $120 million annually into the state and create 800 jobs. More importantly, he said, it would provide health care for thousands of state residents who currently don't have it.

A similar Medicaid expansion bill is pending in the house, but the margin of the senate bill's defeat calls into question whether any expansion bill could win senate approval, even if one does come out of the house.