As Gov. Terry McAuliffe finishes his last year in office, he tried once again to expand Medicaid, but lawmakers blocked the proposal on a party-line vote.
This happened during the Legislature’s veto session earlier this month, when legislators met to sustain or override the governor’s vetoes—a record 40 this session—as well as to address the recommendations and amendments he made to 74 bills. The state budget bill, House Bill 1500, contained Gov. McAuliffe’s proposed amendment to allow him to expand Medicaid on Oct. 1 if the option were still available under the Affordable Care Act. Expansion would increase the rolls by 400,000 people who fall in the gap between being able to afford health insurance and qualifying for Medicaid.
However, new debates about healthcare reform are likely about to ramp up. An eight-member subcommittee has been created under the budget to monitor federal changes made to the Affordable Care Act, as well as to evaluate ways that Virginia can modify its own healthcare system. During veto session, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported, Del. Steven Landes said that lawmakers needed to find a way to expand health coverage to those in the coverage gap, but in a financially responsible way that doesn’t sink the budget. The main criticism of Medicaid expansion has been that it’s a budget-buster and that down the road, states will get stuck with the cost of what the federal government is supposed to pay.
