Oklahoma voters on Tuesday narrowly passed a ballot measure to expand Medicaid, making it the first state to do so during the coronavirus pandemic, Politico reports.
Why it matters: Nearly 200,000 low-income adults could qualify for health insurance under the expansion, and that number could rise because of the recent surge in unemployment.
The big picture: Oklahoma had been among 14 Republican-led states to refrain from expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
- On Tuesday, it became the fifth state to circumvent its legislature and expand the program through a ballot initiative.
- Oklahoma has the second-highest uninsured rate in the nation at 14.2%, according to CNN.
Worth noting: The measure could thwart the administration's plan to make Oklahoma the first state to cap Medicaid spending with a federal block grant program, a move Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) supports.
What's next: The measure mandates the state to expand Medicaid by July 1, 2021.