Oklahoma approves Medicaid expansion

Associated Press reports that Oklahoma approved Medicaid expansion, which means that the state government will subsidize health insurance so that more people will be able to afford it. This decision by voters contrasts with the state's earlier persistent refusal. Interestingly, the article notes that this decision was done through a constitutional amendment, meaning that the state legislature by itself would not able to overturn the decision in the future.

The passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was controversial, and opponents have challenged various parts of it. One controversial aspect of the bill was whether or not to expand Medicaid coverage so that more people who could not afford health insurance would be able to get it through Medicaid (known as Medicaid expansion). The Affordable Care Act had the federal government initially pay for much or all of the additional cost, but then after a period of several years, states would be liable. Several states balked at the prospect of having to pay more to subsidize health coverage. Over time, the opposition to the Affordable Care Act has eroded some, although there is still an ongoing court case to overturn it completely. It could be that as more people have experienced having health insurance, more people have been feeling that everyone should be able to have it.