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Hospital association study calls for expansion of Medicaid

A study by the Nebraska Hospital Association and University of Nebraska at Kearney looks at the costs of expanding Medicaid.

Nebraska lawmakers are set to discuss LB472 Wednesday morning. The legislation would create the Medicaid Redesign Task Force and expand the program in Nebraska. Nebraska Hospital Association spokesman Adrian Sanchez says not expanding Medicaid would cost the state $1 billion in unnecessary spending over five to ten years.

"Should we expand Medicaid, the state will save $73 million over the next five years, as well as draw in more than 2.1 billion dollars in federal funding that will spur more than $5 billion in economic activity, also over the same five years."

Sanchez says expanding Medicaid would support the creation of thousands of jobs. He says low-income Nebraskans would also have more income to spend.

LB472 is sponsored by Senator Kathy Campbell.