Members of the Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Interim Committee voted Friday to advance two Medicaid expansion bills to the full Legislature for consideration in the budget session that starts next month.
On Thursday, several witnesses told committee members that said they can't afford health insurance on the open market.
Lawmakers voted early last year to reject $50 million in federal money for the optional expansion that would extend coverage to about 17,600 low-income adults. The federal government has pledged to pay 90 percent of the cost of expanding the coverage for the first few years.
Gov. Matt Mead has urged lawmakers to reject any expansion, saying the federal government can't be trusted to follow through on that promise.