Two General Assembly committees voted on Sunday to pass budget bills that may make it harder to expand Medicaid coverage to more than 300,000 Virginia families.
The Senate Finance Committee and House Appropriations Committee each voted for budgets that include stringent requirements and timelines on Medicaid expansion decried by Democratic legislators for basically putting Medicaid expansion on life support.
“My colleagues in the House should remember that there are significant benefits to taking full advantage of what’s available to the Commonwealth under the Affordable Care Act with little cost to taxpayers,” said Charniele Herring, a Democratic state delegate and the chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia. “It’s time for Republicans to stop leaving money that Virginia taxpayers send to Washington on the table while hundreds of thousands of Virginians wait for their leaders in Richmond to put them first.”
“Given the great benefits of expanding Medicaid, creating 30,000 jobs, expanding insurance coverage to over 300,000 Virginians, providing relief to hospitals and patient care facilities, it is unfortunate that House Republicans would place increased restrictions on this common sense measure,” said House Democratic Leader Del. David Toscano (D- Charlottesville). “As the budget process moves forward, there is still a window of opportunity to make changes and I hope my colleagues will ultimately realize the great economic, medical, and social benefits of expanding Medicaid.”
“We have a moral obligation to stand up for the health and well-being of children and military veterans. Expanding Medicaid would provide health insurance to over 300,000 Virginians, including 50,000 children and 34,000 veterans, at a very limited cost to taxpayers,” said Del. Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond). “House Republicans imposed unnecessary obstacles that will make it more difficult to expand health insurance to Virginia’s kids and veterans. We need to concentrate on providing health care for the most vulnerable, rather than adhering to a rigid ideology.”
“The House Republicans forced rigid timelines and requirements on Medicaid expansion that may jeopardize its implementation. These obstacles will cost Virginia taxpayers over $2 million a year in health care savings and prevent over 300,000 Virginians, over 50,000 of them children, from getting quality, affordable health care coverage. Not only is the Republican plan fiscally irresponsible, it is unconscionable that House Republicans would deny health care coverage to the most vulnerable,” said Del. Patrick Hope (D- Arlington).
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