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JD, Usha Vance visit Greenland as Trump administration eyes territory; Maine nurses, medical workers call for improved staffing ratios; Court orders WA to rewrite CAFO dairy operation permit regulations; MS aims to expand Fresh Start Act to cut recidivism.

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The Dept. of Health and Human Services prepares to cut 10,000 more jobs. Election officials are unsure if a Trump executive order will be enacted, and Republicans in Congress say they aim to cut NPR and PBS funding.

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Rural folks face significant clean air and water risks due to EPA cutbacks, a group of policymakers is working to expand rural health care via mobile clinics, and a new study maps Montana's news landscape.

Over half-million Virginians risk Medicaid coverage loss under proposed cuts

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Friday, February 21, 2025   

As Congress threatens deep cuts to the Medicaid program, a new report from the health policy research organization KFF showed how some of the proposed changes could end coverage for about 20 million people nationwide, with more than 600,000 in Virginia.

One idea targets the Medicaid expansion federal match rate. The federal government currently pays 90% of the costs for people covered under what's known as the Medicaid expansion, which extended coverage to nearly all low-income adults.

Liz Williams, senior policy analyst with KFF, explained if the federal match rate drops, Virginia would have two options: Come up with money to keep the Medicaid expansion or end it altogether.

"The state is required to automatically end expansion coverage if the match rate drops," Williams explained. "In those 'trigger law' states -- there's 12 of them -- enrollees are at greater risk of losing coverage."

Virginia is among those "trigger law" states. At the moment, 45% of Medicaid enrollees in the Commonwealth have health care coverage because of the Medicaid expansion and would be at risk of losing it should these changes go through.

The Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act was enacted to reduce the number of uninsured people nationwide. It provided states with an increased federal match rate to help pay for their health care costs. Williams emphasized if federal support drops and states cannot afford to pick up the added cost, the number of uninsured people will dramatically increase and any gains in financial security and health outcomes associated with the expansion would be reversed.

"Medicaid is jointly funded by states and the federal government," Williams noted. "Any restrictions in federal Medicaid spending really leaves states with tough choices about how to offset reductions."

She added states have a few options, including increasing state taxes, decreasing spending on non-Medicaid services like education or decreasing health coverage for other groups.


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