Medicaid Expansion Update:
The fight for affordable healthcare in Wyoming has just begun! Even though HB0162 failed 2-3, our movement is still winning.
You may have already heard that during yesterday's Senate Labor/Health Committee Meeting a bill that would have extended Medicaid coverage to 24,000 uninsured people in Wyoming was voted down.

One single vote blocked 24,000 people in our state from being able to access affordable healthcare, but it won't stop the Healthy Wyoming movement.

The takeaway from yesterday's hearing on Medicaid expansion is: Supporters are winning. Even though the bill failed 2-3, the movement to increase affordable healthcare in Wyoming is winning!
 
And that's thanks to YOU! We want to extend a giant thank you to everyone for showing that supporters are building an unstoppable movement for affordable healthcare access in Wyoming. Thank you!

We are so grateful to the thousands of advocates across the state who worked endlessly making phone calls, sending emails and showing support for legislation that would impact the economic self-sufficiency of women & girls in Wyoming.

Immense gratitude to those who shared your heartwrenching stories, calling upon our state's leaders to step up on behalf of 24,000 Wyomingites. It's thanks to you that MedEx has made this historic progress!

Our mission is to invest in the economic self-sufficiency of women & opportunities for girls in Wyoming, so we aren't done yet. Medicaid Expansion didn't pass yesterday. But, advocates will keep fighting until everyone in Wyoming has access to affordable healthcare!

Remember, the movement to increase affordable healthcare in Wyoming is winning thanks to supporters like you!
We’re going to need to keep up the momentum by encouraging supportive lawmakers as this movement goes forward. 

Will you write a short email to thank the two senators who voted “Yes”?
 
Sen. Fred Baldwin (R-Kemmerer)
 
Sen. Dan Furphy (R-Laramie)

We will continue to be in touch about legislation impacting women & girls, especially with the next steps in the movement to increase access to affordable healthcare in Wyoming.

Until then, please give yourselves a pat on the back for just how far we have come already.
MedEx in the News
Proposal to expand Medicaid dies in Wyoming Legislature, despite apparent momentum The stars had seemed to align for Medicaid expansion in Wyoming this year, advocates said. Despite the apparent momentum, however, the bill to expand the federal insurance program beyond its currently limited eligibility never made it to the Senate floor.

Medicaid Expansion Fails Again Once again, the Wyoming legislature has rejected Medicaid expansion. Despite testimony providing overwhelming support for the measure and some federal aid to encourage more states to adopt the program, the Senate Labor and Health Committee voted three to two against the bill.

How the Wyoming Senate killed Medicaid expansion, again The Wyoming Senate Committee on Labor, Health and Social Services voted Wednesday to kill a House-sponsored effort at Medicaid expansion. The 3-2 vote, which came after more than three hours of public testimony and debate, likely ends this year’s effort to close Wyoming’s “Medicaid gap.”

White House Seeks To Expand Medicaid Coverage For Home Health Services An additional $400 billion is included in a massive jobs and infrastructure package that President Joe Biden unveiled Wednesday. And Wyoming again fails to advance Medicaid expansion.

Women's Foundation: Expanding Medicaid benefits all citizens — especially Wyoming women. The economic downturn in the past year found many previously working Wyomingites without employer-sponsored healthcare. They don’t have enough income to purchase health insurance or health care on their own. At the same time, many in Wyoming have faced new health challenges associated with COVID-19.

Simon: Protecting lives of pregnant women and their babies -- is it a priority? The Wyoming Department of Health estimates the majority of enrollees in the Medicaid health insurance program will be working women under 35 — so the prospect of expanding Medicaid coverage is welcome news for women in the Equality State.
About Healthy Wyoming
The Healthy Wyoming coalition aims to convince state lawmakers to extend federal Medicaid coverage to people who cannot afford health insurance. This is at least a two-year goal.

Questions? Visit the FAQs
About the Wyoming Women's Foundation
The Wyoming Women’s Foundation is a priority fund of the Wyoming Community Foundation, which granted out over $11 million to nonprofits across the state in 2019, and over $85 million since its inception in 1989. The Women’s Foundation builds on a permanent endowment that will ensure funding to enhance the lives of women and girls in Wyoming for generations to come. It makes grants to organizations that help Wyoming women and girls attain economic self-sufficiency, creates statewide awareness of the barriers to economic self-sufficiency, and supports systems change to eliminate those barriers. Learn more at wywf.org.
Would you like more frequent emails about when to make your voice heard in the legislature about women's economic self-sufficiency? Join WYWF's Power Advocates!
Wyoming Women's Foundation | 307-721-8300