Medicaid Expansion Passes In Nebraska; Lawmakers Must Decide How To Pay For It

LINCOLN--Nebraska became the 34th state Tuesday to expand access to Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for low-income people.

With just over 53 percent of the votes cast, Initiative 427 passed. It amends state law with the goal of bringing Medicaid coverage to an estimated 90,000 Nebraskans — ages 19 to 64 and under the federal poverty line — and creating jobs in the health care industry.

It’s a win for the nonprofit Medicaid expansion organization Insure the Good Life, which pulled together more than 135,000 signatures this summer to put the initiative on the ballot. Insure...