Under the Affordable Care Act, an Expansion State is one that had eligibility standards for parents and nonpregnant childless adults (under either the State plan or a demonstration project) to at least 100 percent of the FPL as of the date of enactment of the Affordable Care Act. Specifically, a State is an expansion State if, on March 23, 2010, the State offered health benefits coverage Statewide to parents and non-pregnant, childless adults whose income is at least 100 percent of the poverty line, that includes inpatient hospital services, is not dependent on access to employer coverage, employer contribution, or employment and is not limited to premium assistance, hospital-only benefits, a high deductible health plan, or alternative benefits under a demonstration program authorized under section 1938 of the act. A State that offers health benefits coverage to only parents or only non-pregnant childless adults described in preceding sentence will not be considered to be an expansion State; both groups must have been covered as described above.
The law established a special Federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for expansion States. Expansion States are able to claim a special FMAP for the non-pregnant childless adults who are not "newly eligible." These States can also claim the enhanced FMAP for individuals who are "newly eligible" in 2014. CMS is in the process of a 50-State review of State coverage as of March 23, 2010.