Democratic Leader Criticizes Bentley on ACA
Democrat Criticizes Bentley on Health Exchanges
The Affordable Care Act requires state insurance exchanges where individuals and small businesses can shop for health insurance. States have until Friday to tell the federal government whether they will set up their own exchanges or let Washington do it for them. After months of indecision, Governor Robert Bentley announced yesterday that Alabama will not set up an exchange. He says it’s just too expensive. Alabama House minority leader Gadsden Democrat Craig Ford tells WBHM’s Tanya Ott he’s very disappointed by Bentley’s decision.
You can learn more about the state insurance exchanges and Medicaid expansion here.
Attitudes among Alabama lawmakers softening on Medicaid expansion
Alabama is one of ten states which has not expanded Medicaid. Republican leaders have pushed back against the idea for years.
Birmingham is 3rd worst in the Southeast for ozone pollution, new report says
The American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report shows some metro areas in the Gulf States continue to have poor air quality.
Why haven’t Kansas and Alabama — among other holdouts — expanded access to Medicaid?
Only 10 states have not joined the federal program that expands Medicaid to people who are still in the "coverage gap" for health care
Once praised, settlement to help sickened BP oil spill workers leaves most with nearly nothing
Thousands of ordinary people who helped clean up after the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico say they got sick. A court settlement was supposed to help compensate them, but it hasn’t turned out as expected.
Q&A: How harm reduction can help mitigate the opioid crisis
Maia Szalavitz discusses harm reduction's effectiveness against drug addiction, how punitive policies can hurt people who need pain medication and more.
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring a Community Engagement Producer
The Gulf States Newsroom is seeking a curious, creative and collaborative professional to work with our regional team to build up engaged journalism efforts.
