No-Go on Partial Medicaid Expansion, Say Feds

All-in, or all-out

[T]he Supreme Court upset this plan last summer when it decided the Medicaid expansion should be optional. Republican governors started to ask if they could expand Medicaid just somewhat, but still collect the additional federal funding for it.

After several months of consideration, the Obama administration delivered its decision Monday, as part of a series of questions and answers for states about Medicaid expansions and setting up health care exchanges.

"Congress directed that the enhanced matching rate be used to expand coverage to 133 percent" of the federal poverty level, says the document. "The law does not provide for a phased-in or partial expansion."