Celebrating Medicaid Expansion in Virginia, Three Years After Its Passage

Richmond, Virginia—Today marks the three-year anniversary of the passage of Medicaid expansion in the Commonwealth.  Virginia’s expansion of Medicaid has broadened health coverage to include an additional 494,000 people across the Commonwealth.  This commitment to better healthcare and outcomes is a step toward the ultimate goal of ensuring that everyone in Virginia, regardless of income level, zip code, race, immigration status, or gender identity is able to see a doctor when they need to.

“Healthcare is a right, not a privilege reserved for only a few. Everyone should be able to see a doctor when they are sick, with no questions asked,” Ashleigh Crocker, Communications Director at Progress Virginia, said. “No one should have to choose between essential needs like food, clothes, shelter, and their healthcare. Thanks to Medicaid expansion, more people than ever have access to preventative and lifesaving care.  However, there is still a huge disparity in healthcare, particularly for Black and Brown mothers and children, that is rooted in racism. While we’re proud of the work we did to expand Medicaid, there is still work to be done. ”

Background: 

• On May 30, 2018, after years of debate, the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates voted to expand Medicaid and pass an annual budget.
• An estimated 300,000 Virginians remain uncovered, caught between incomes that are too high to qualify for expanded Medicaid coverage, yet too low to afford health insurance.
• Medicaid is now available to Virginia residents earning up to 138 percent (about $17,609 for a single person, and about $29,973 for an adult in a household of three people) of the poverty level.
• Virginia was five years behind many other states in implementing Medicaid expansion under the ACA, due to obstruction from Republican legislators.