Issue Position: Expanding Medicaid

Issue Position

During the 2013 Virginia General Assembly, the House of Delegates voted to hold the line on ObamaCare and blocked Medicaid Expansion in Virginia. The General Assembly made this decision because the Republican majority believes it is important to reform Medicaid first, before expanding it.

A new poll out from the Thomas Jefferson Institute shows Virginia voters agree - Medicaid reform must come first. Costs are skyrocketing. Medicaid spending in Virginia has grown by 1600% over the last 30 years. Medicaid now consumes 23 percent of the state budget. The federal government has promised to pay for expansion, but the truth is Washington can't afford it. The country is $17 trillion in debt and any new spending will really just mean more borrowing. And when, not if, Washington pulls the plug on its promises, Virginia taxpayers will be left footing the bill.

Most importantly, Medicaid patients are not receiving high quality care. Doctors are refusing to see Medicaid patients because of low reimbursement rates. A study conducted by researchers at Harvard and MIT showed that expanding Medicaid coverage did not result in better health outcomes over a two-year period.

The recently formed Medicaid Innovation and Reform Commission created by the Virginia General Assembly is responsible for supervising the implementation of real Medicaid reforms. This Commission is working to enact patient-centered, market-based reforms that will lower costs and improve the quality of care. These reforms include promoting coordinated care, implementing cost-sharing systems, encouraging health and wellness programs and offering more flexible plans.

I am proud to support a reform-first approach to Medicaid. Virginia has earned its reputation as a well-managed state by addressing complex problems in a responsible manner. I believe we have to do the same with Medicaid.

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