Jolene Dybas, a part-time customer service representative, earns less than $15,000 per year and is unable to receive subsidized health insurance. Living in Alabama, which is one of ten states not part of the Medicaid expansion, she is facing high out-of-pocket costs to manage her health conditions. However, some southern states are reconsidering Medicaid expansion due to high public support and pressure from health care industry. They are also offered financial incentives from the federal government. Alabama and Mississippi are open to expanded coverage, while Georgia might consider an Arkansas-style plan. Other states, like Texas, Tennessee, and Florida, are still opposed to expansion. Advocates believe that Medicaid expansion is inevitable due to increasing disparities in health care and easing opposition.
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