Virginia Medicaid -Recipes on the Edge as GOP weighs cuts • Virginia Mercury

With President Donald Trump back in the White House and Congress Republicans Eying Medicaid CutsVirginia Democrats is moving to protect the state’s safety net for health care.

Senator Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, a 32-year veteran in the state government, called the Medicaid extension 2018 one of the “most meaningful” voices in his career. At that time, the Democrats hit a compromise with Republicans and accepted a ”Trigger“It would automatically roll back the expansion if federal funding was cut down.

Now deeds are pressing and late. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, to remove it trigger and introduce budget language to keep the expansion intact. The house and the Senate Money Committee reveal their proposal on Sunday, but so far Deeds said, “We will keep the pressure on our federal representatives to do the right thing.”

Medicaid, a federal program that helps low -income income and people with disabilities gain access to health insurance, were expanded in Virginia to cover more residents. If the congress cuts the funding, approx. 630,000 people automatically lose their coverage.

If the amendment to the state budget goes but Congress cuts Medicaid, lawmakers would need a special session to find out a way to keep the program fluid, deeds warned.

“If they were to roll it back 50%, it’s a price of $ 2.5 billion for Virginia,” he said.

With Virginia sitting on a Profit of $ 2 billionRecognized deeds competing priorities, but signaled that saving Medicaid could be a consideration.

“We want a lot to find out and it will really be a struggle to do it,” he said.

For Richmond resident Katina Moss, Medicaid is not only health insurance-this is what allows her to look after her aging parents as she continues her independent work without the crushing burden of medical bills.

“If the federal government falls financing even 1%, my health coverage, my safety net and my ability to pursue my independent work while I was nurturing my parents would be gone on a flash,” she said.

Lawyers warn that the potential cuts would force many virgins into impossible choices.

Ashley Kenneth, President of the Commonwealth Institute, and Julia Newton, a Service Employees International Union Member, emphasized how Medicaid gives workers the security of prioritizing basic needs without choosing between “putting food on the table” who pays rent or seek medical treatment.

Medicaid has been in Republicans’ cross chairs before. On his first day at the office in 2017, Trump issued an Executive Order Targeting the abolition of the law of affordable care, which allowed states to expand Medicaid. Later celebrated A repeal that passed parliament before he failed in the Senate, and by 2020 supported a trial Before the US Supreme Court who tried to run ACA.

Recently outlines a Trump -Administration Memo that outlines a suggested Federal Funding Freeze Pointed out excluded Medicare and Social Security, but was silent on Medicaid and accelerated concern from democratic lawmakers. The administration later lifted It memo, but uncertainty is back.

Part. Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, who supported Virginia’s Medicaid extension in 2018, could not be reached for comment.

With negotiations on the state budget approaching the last stretch of the legislative meeting in 2025, Government Manager Glenn Youngkin’s attitude to protecting Medicaid remains unclear. Mercury asked if he had been in contact with Trump or Congress Republicans on the question, but did not receive an answer before the publication.