Virginia Governor Tries Again For Medicaid Expansion In Budget
The budget would authorize a tax on revenues from most hospitals in the state to raise money to match federal dollars under expansion and create a $195-million health care reserve from the portion of funds representing the state’s share of the expanded program’s cost.
The Roanoke Times:
Governor Pushes For Medicaid Expansion Again In Budget
Gov. Terry McAuliffe proposed Thursday to use projected savings from expanding Virginia’s Medicaid program to pay for corporate and individual tax relief, as well as a handful of other spending initiatives. McAuliffe presented a two-year, $109 billion budget to the General Assembly’s Republican-controlled money committees that includes almost $157 million in projected savings from using federal funds under the Affordable Care Act to provide health coverage for hundreds of thousands of uninsured Virginians, which he called “necessary and inevitable.” (Martz, 12/17)
The Washington Post:
McAuliffe Unveils $109 Billion Budget Plan
Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced a two-year budget proposal Thursday that calls for expanding Medicaid, defying a Republican-dominated General Assembly that has vowed to strip that out for a third consecutive year. The spending plan totals $109 billion, and includes $3 billion for the federal health insurance program. It also calls for a new tax on hospitals to help bankroll Medicaid expansion, but would slightly cut personal and corporate taxes. (Portnoy and Vozzella, 12/17)
