Virginia Senate Passes Medicaid Expansion

The Virginia Senate narrowly passed a budget that expands Medicaid access to low-income residents under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) with a 23-17 vote.

The bill is now expected to become law after it returns to the Virginia House—where it already passedin April—and on to Democratic Governor Ralph Northam’s desk. When the bill is finally signed, Virginia will become the 33rd state to expand Medicaid access under the ACA.

As a result of the expansion, Virginia will receive 95% of the costs of expansion from the federal government until 2020, when the amount decreases to 90%. The bill will expand access to 400,000 qualifying beneficiaries in the state who make less than $17,000 a year.

Virginia is also expected to request a 1332 state innovation waiver from the federal government to impose a work requirement on some qualifying Medicaid beneficiaries.

The Republican-controlled Virginia Senate was able to thwart last minute attempts from dissenting party members to block the budget bill’s expansion amendments.

Virginia residents are expected to be able to enroll in Medicaid beginning on January 1, 2019.

—David Costill

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