Medicaid expansion advocates speak in Montgomery

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — People gathered in Montgomery for Medicaid Expansion Advocacy Day on Tuesday.

One group, Cover Alabama, said it wants lawmakers and the governor to expand Medicaid. It said nearly 200,000 Alabamians are in the coverage gap. Republicans said they would consider it, but the cost is a concern.

“Our state leaders have the power to fix this, to create a system that ensures people can see a doctor when they’re sick, afford the medication they need and get care before a small health issue becomes a crisis,” said Debbie Smith of Cover Alabama.

“But the devil is in the details, right?” state Sen. Andrew Jones (R-Centre). “We’ve seen a lot of federal money evaporate — grants disappear. We want to make sure that if we do this, we can sustain it, and we’re not stuck paying a huge cost because we’ve got to fund state government. We’ve got to fund education.”

Attendees spoke with their lawmakers about the issue after holding a press conference.