Associated Press December 04, 2019
Virginia is
moving toward dropping work requirements for Medicaid enrollees after Democrats
won full control of the state Legislature for the first time in a generation.
Democratic Gov.
Ralph Northam said Wednesday that his administration is hitting
"pause" on its request for federal approval to require some Medicaid
recipients to have a job or participate in some form of approved community
engagement and pay part of the premiums.
The provisions
were key parts of a bipartisan compromise nearly two years ago that saw
Virginia expand Medicaid to low-income, able-bodied adults after years of
steadfast GOP opposition. But Northam said Democratic victories in last month's
legislative elections, which gave his party total control of the General
Assembly for the first time in a generation, made it unlikely that the
work-requirements and other provisions would ever be implemented.
"Virginians
made it clear they want more access to healthcare, not less," Northam said
in a statement.
Republicans, who
had previously expressed frustration with the lengthy projected timetable for
implementation of the work requirements, said Northam was acting in bad faith.
"He gave his
personal assurance that the long-term policy of the commonwealth would be
Medicaid expansion with a work requirement. Broken promises like this are the
reason so many people hate politics," said Republican Del. Todd Gilbert,
the incoming House minority leader.
Medicaid is a
publicly funded healthcare program whose costs are split by the federal and
state governments. Expanding Medicaid to low-income, able-bodied adults was a
key part of former President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul.
Virginia was one
of several states that initially rejected expansion. But after Democrats made
huge gains in 2017 after campaigning heavily on the issue, several Republicans
agreed to back expansion if it had the work requirement provision.
So far, more than
300,000 Virginians have enrolled in Medicaid after lawmakers approved
expansion.
Republicans in
other states that have expanded Medicaid followed a similar course in requiring
that new enrollees either be employed or actively searching for jobs.
But Northam also
cited the numerous legal challenges in those states as reason not to move forward.
Indiana is the
only state where Medicaid work requirements are in effect, though officials
said recently they would temporarily suspend enforcement until a lawsuit is
resolved.
A federal judge
has blocked Medicaid work requirements in Arkansas, Kentucky and New Hampshire.
And a federal lawsuit challenging Michigan's plan to implement work
requirements was filed last month.
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