We have been contacted by groups about the effort to promote expansion of Medicaid in Wyoming. It’s no secret the options are few for affordable health care for many low income residents of Wyoming.
According to The Commonwealth Fund website, “States must finance a share of the cost of expansion. As such, expanding Medicaid will increase state spending. However, expanding Medicaid also allows states to reduce spending on traditional Medicaid Thus, the net increase in total Medicaid spending is smaller than the cost of expansion. Expanding Medicaid also may allow states to cut spending outside Medicaid — particularly on programs that provide health services to low-income people.”
This issue is taking on increasing support from grassroots organizations and medical professionals throughout Wyoming.
You can find out more by joining with Better Wyoming which invites members of our community in the first Healthy Park County advocacy chapter meeting at 6:00 PM on Thursday, October 22 via Zoom.
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
Organizers stress, “We do not need experts—just people who are willing to engage in conversation about how to improve healthcare access in Wyoming.”
Wait, there’s more
Phyllis Roseberry (a member of Wyoming Rising), writes from Worland that Washakie County Democrats have issued an Alert for Action concerning the Wyoming Legislature Appropriations Committee meeting October 26/27. The meeting is available to watch on Zoom, and comments can be made in written form or on Zoom or both. According to the Alert, Wyoming’s failure to approve Medicaid expansion “has resulted in a loss to the state of $100 million a year and about 28,000 people in the state not being covered by any health insurance.”
The link to the Appropriation Committee information is https://wyoleg.gov/Committees/2020/J02
How can we possibly keep up with state government?
Phyllis passed on more important information. The state faces a budget shortfall of 1.5 billion dollars for the next biennium. While cuts are being and will be made, there is a need to keep our state from slipping perilously behind. You can subscribe to important work being done at the committee level before the actual legislative session. Here is a link to sign up for all the information about committees (meeting schedules, zoom access, agenda, minutes, public comment forms): https://public.govdelivery.com/acounts/WYLSO/subscriber/new
Committee meetings are on Zoom or YouTube, according to the recent alert.
You can make a difference. Thank you for caring.
(Image from health.wyo.gov)
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