Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey will expand his state’s Medicaid program, according to the Star-Ledger. He’s the eighth GOP governor to do so.
As for his decision to expand Medicaid, the Republican governor, a critic of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, could reap up to $300 million by expanding the state program in the coming budget year.
For weeks, a coalition of labor, religious, family and consumer groups waged an aggressive letter-writing and media campaign encouraging Christie to expand the Medicaid program. Doing so, they argued, would allow 300,000 uninsured and childless people to apply for Medicaid.
At 3 p.m., Christie will discuss this decision and his budget in a speech.