Up to 2.7 million people could gain access to Medicaid as a result of next week's elections, according to new estimates from Avalere Health.
The big picture: Medicaid expansion is on the ballot in 3 states: Idaho, Nebraska and Utah. And some large non-expansion states, namely Florida and Georgia, have competitive governors' races.
- If Democrats win those races and make gains in state legislatures at the same time, then Medicaid expansion could become a real option in those states. And some gubernatorial candidates, including Stacey Abrams in Georgia, have made Medicaid expansion a top campaign priority.
Flashback: If you're a subscriber to my health care newsletter Vitals, you'll know I've been hammering away at this point for over a year. The governors' races are the main event in the midterms and you'll never convince me otherwise.