Senator Mark Warner wants Virginia to get the same full federal matching funds for expanding Medicaid that states that moved earlier did, and have teamed up with seven colleagues—some from states that got the full funding, some from late-comers like Virginia — to introduce legislation to make that possible.
The bill says the 12 states that expanded Medicaid after Jan 1 2014 should be eligible for the same federal matching funds that other states received. Under the bill, a state would receive three years of full federal funding, which is that the early states received. The federal payments would then dip to 95 percent in year 4; 94 percent in year 5; 93 percent in year 6; and, 90 percent after that. In Virginia, which expanded Medicaid as of Jan 1 2019, the federal government covers 90 percent of the cost.
“It’s crazy that for so many years, Virginia taxpayers were footing the bill for states that had already expanded Medicaid. Today, Medicaid expansion is bringing billions of tax dollars back home to Virginia, and more than 400,000 Virginians have gained access to quality, low-cost or no-cost Medicaid coverage,” said Warner.
He said he expected the bill, if enacted, would encourage states that haven’t expanded Medicaid to do so.
The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association said the measure could ease the financial burden hospitals face from expansion by an estimated $300 million a year. Under the terms of Virginia’s expansion, hospitals pick up the 10 percent of the cost that Washington isn’t covering.
Joining Warner in pushing for the bill are Virginia’s Sen. Tim Kaine, and Senators Doug Jones, D-Ala., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., Tom Carper, D-Del., Chris Coons, D-Del., Angus King, I-Maine, and Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.
Besides Virginia, states that would benefit from the bill are Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Utah.
