Poll: Alabama Voters Support Medicaid Expansion

A recent poll shows that more than seven in 10 Alabama voters support expanding Medicaid to increase access to healthcare.That poll, conducted by Cygnal for Alabama Arise, informed likely Alabama voters about what expanding Medicaid could do, including the creation of an average of 20,000 new jobs per year over the next six years with an economic impact of $1.8 billion per year.

Of those polled, 71.5 percent supported expanding Medicaid, including 65.8 percent of Republican voters polled. Almost 69 percent of respondents, including 61.8 percent of Republican voters, supported using a portion of the state’s $2 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funds to expand Medicaid in Alabama.

“Voters support Medicaid expansion because it is a tremendous opportunity to create jobs, protect rural hospitals and provide life-saving care,” Jane Adams, Cover Alabama campaign director at Alabama Arise, said in a statement. “This poll shows Medicaid expansion is no longer a partisan issue and that most Alabamians support expanding Medicaid coverage to adults with low incomes.”

A recent report from the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama found that Medicaid expansion in Alabama would cost an average of $225.4 million per year, but the federal government would cover $379.9 million in annual expenses now paid by the state.

“As a result, the state could expand coverage, and at the same time, reduce or reinvest the amount paid to support health care for low-income Alabamians by $172 million annually,” the PARCA report reads.

“Governor Ivey and leaders in Montgomery have said the obstacle to expanding Medicaid in Alabama is the cost. But with the American Rescue Plan Act funding, Alabama can expand Medicaid and could reinvest more than $170 million in state funding to provide more access to care,” Adams said.

“Public support is strong, and the report and polling data show there is no financial barrier or obstacle to overcome. We urge Governor Ivey and leaders in Montgomery to put forward a Medicaid expansion plan that is tailored to the needs of Alabamians,” Adams continued.

Montgomery-based Cygnal conducted the poll in January, which surveyed 631 likely voters across Alabama with a margin of error of +/- 3.85 percent.