Administration touts Medicaid jump

by Elise Viebeck - 12/03/13 11:48 AM ET

The Obama administration is touting a rise in Medicaid applications as a sign of success for ObamaCare as questions continue about the strength of HealthCare.gov.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Tuesday that Medicaid applications have jumped more than 15 percent over prior months in states that chose to expand the program.

{mosads}More than 1.46 million people were determined eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program through state-based agencies and marketplaces in October, the agency said.

The White House has sought to punch back at negative news about HealthCare.gov and canceled health plans by pivoting to Medicaid and the states that refused to expand it under the Affordable Care Act.

Democrats have painted governors in those states as unwilling to offer cheap healthcare coverage to low-income residents, noting that the expansion is mostly federally funded. Some conservative governors argue the expansion would sink their state budgets.

Medicaid enrollment has also been a bright spot amid low sign-ups at HealthCare.gov. The website enrolled only about 27,000 people in its first month, as users encountered serious technical glitches.

Tags Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Healthcare reform in the United States Medicaid Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act United States Department of Health and Human Services