President Barack Obama’s administration stepped up pressure Wednesday on states like Wisconsin that have refused to expand Medicaid eligibility under his health care overhaul, issuing a report saying expansion would improve access to care, help contain people’s costs and create jobs.
The White House Council of Economic Advisers’ report found that expansion in Wisconsin would mean coverage for an additional 120,000 people by 2016. The number of people facing catastrophic out-of-pocket costs would drop by 5,400 annually and the number of people borrowing to pay medical bills or skipping payments on medical bills would drop by 17,100.