Medicaid expansion in Wyoming dies. Again.

Victoria Eavis

A last-ditch effort to expand Medicaid in Wyoming died Friday in the Legislature, but not without one minor win.

Both the House and the Senate attempted to pass budget amendments that would increase the amount of money that could be funneled into Medicaid, a program that already exists in Wyoming, but proponents call “bare bones.”

Lawmaker rejected both budget amendments: The House version failed before a vote could be held on the matter, while the Senate attempt failed by a vote of 6-24.

However, the Senate was able to pass a budget amendment that would allow the governor and the Department of Health to negotiate with the federal government over how much the state would pay for the expanded program in comparison to the federal government. As it stands now, Wyoming would have to pay far more than similar states because Teton County, which is home to the highest number of billionaires per capita, skews the Equality State’s numbers.

The House did not pass the amendment, which means it’s at greater risk of being removed from the final budget going forward. That said, the House has been friendlier to expansion this year.

“While we didn’t hear about it in the House, I think many would find it acceptable,” said Rep. Mike Yin, D-Jackson.

Expanding Medicaid would offer health care coverage to roughly 18,000 to 25,000 Wyomingites.

Medicaid currently covers pregnant women and low-income children in the state. Expansion would open it up to adults who earn less than 138% of the federal poverty level, which for a family of four is roughly $28,000.

Advocates for the program say it would help the working poor and the state’s hospitals, which provide care to those who cannot pay for it. Some of those costs are passed along to those with insurance, meaning employers and people with coverage also feel the effect.

Critics of the program have questioned its cost and the amount of people it would actually help. They also worry the federal government won’t live up to its fiscal obligations, leaving the state on the hook.