Obamacare's Other Problem

quicklist: curated
quote: “Philosophically, [the law] is great. But right here on the streets of Texas, it’s not that big of a difference.”
their: Politico
their_title: Medicaid gap leaves Obamacare haves and have-nots
their_url: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/medicaid-gap-obamacare-98564.html
their_copy: April Gomez-Rodriguez hopes Obamacare changes her life.

Daniel Hughes says it’s like the health law never happened.

The difference between them: one state border.
theirCTA: Read the full story here.
our_copy: Everyone has been talking about the glitches with the federal Obamacare website, and rightfully so. The website cost $400 million to build and the glitches could prevent millions of people from obtaining insurance coverage.

President Obama addressed those glitches today during an event at the White House.

But there are other, some would argue bigger, problems with the law that could prove longer lasting than the website. As Politico’s Jennifer Haberkorn points out, Obamacare originally required states to decline to expand Medicaid coverage to people living near the federal poverty level. But a Supreme Court decision last year allowed states to decline to expand Medicaid coverage. That means millions of poor people who live in states without the Medicaid expansion could remain without health insurance.

Jordan Fabian is Fusion’s politics editor, writing about campaigns, Congress, immigration, and more. When he’s not working, you can find him at the ice rink or at home with his wife, Melissa.