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A key Virginia GOP state senator says he is willing to break ranks and vote to expand Medicaid
Source: Washington Post
A key Virginia GOP state senator says he is willing to break ranks and vote to expand Medicaid
By Laura Vozzella April 6 at 11:16 AM
RICHMOND — Virginia could be on the cusp of expanding Medicaid to 400,000 low-income residents, after a veteran Republican state senator said Friday he is willing to split with his party and help Democrats realize a goal they have been chasing for years.
Virginia state Sen. Frank Wagner (Virginia Beach) said he supports allowing more poor people to enroll in the federal-state health care program on two conditions.
He wants the plan structured so Medicaid recipients do not suddenly lose coverage if their earnings rise. And he wants a tax credit or some other help for middle-income people who already have insurance but are struggling to pay soaring premiums and co-pays.
While those details remain to be worked out, Wagner’s position could break a standoff over Medicaid and the state budget in Virginia’s General Assembly, averting a government shutdown and handing an enormous win to Gov. Ralph Northam (D) just three months into his term. The legislature convenes Wednesday for a special session on the budget.
-snip-
By Laura Vozzella April 6 at 11:16 AM
RICHMOND — Virginia could be on the cusp of expanding Medicaid to 400,000 low-income residents, after a veteran Republican state senator said Friday he is willing to split with his party and help Democrats realize a goal they have been chasing for years.
Virginia state Sen. Frank Wagner (Virginia Beach) said he supports allowing more poor people to enroll in the federal-state health care program on two conditions.
He wants the plan structured so Medicaid recipients do not suddenly lose coverage if their earnings rise. And he wants a tax credit or some other help for middle-income people who already have insurance but are struggling to pay soaring premiums and co-pays.
While those details remain to be worked out, Wagner’s position could break a standoff over Medicaid and the state budget in Virginia’s General Assembly, averting a government shutdown and handing an enormous win to Gov. Ralph Northam (D) just three months into his term. The legislature convenes Wednesday for a special session on the budget.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/a-key-virginia-gop-state-senator-says-he-is-willing-to-break-ranks-and-vote-to-expand-medicaid/2018/04/06/8b53dc58-382e-11e8-9c0a-85d477d9a226_story.html
