USA Today

By: Ken Alltucker

With Democrats capturing the House of Representatives and Republicans strengthening control of the Senate, experts predict gridlock will likely block major changes to the Affordable Care Act. But access to health care and spiraling medical costs remain top-of-mind issues for consumers and state lawmakers, even in traditionally conservative states. Voters in Idaho, Nebraska and Utah passed ballot initiatives on Tuesday that will expand Medicaid to more than 330,000 low-income adults in those three Republican-dominated states.

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Joan Alker, executive director of the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University, said the election results reinforce the popularity of Medicaid program, both among Democrats and moderate Republicans. “Last night was really a great night for Medicaid,” Alker said. “I think it will continue to be a winning issue with the voters.”

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Alker, of Georgetown, said that Medicaid often is an important issue for rural residents who are more likely than urban counterparts to be uninsured. She said Georgia, Florida and Texas – three states that have not yet expanded Medicaid – have among the largest numbers of low-income residents without coverage.

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