The battle of the budgets intensified on Tuesday, as the House Appropriations Committee took aim at a Senate proposal to expand services in Virginia’s Medicaid program without paying for them, rather than use additional federal money to fully expand the program for more than 300,000 uninsured Virginians under the Affordable Care Act.
The House Appropriations Committee released an analysis of the Senate proposal to amend an existing Medicaid waiver. It estimates the full cost at $441.5 million to serve almost 61,000 Virginians with mental illness, substance use disorders or life-threatening, complex medical conditions. If capped at 20,000 people, as the Senate has proposed, the state cost would be $186 million for two years.
The Senate plan is based on legislation sponsored by Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, to create a “Priority Needs Program” under Medicaid. The plan also would serve 2,300 people with developmental or intellectual disabilities who are waiting for services under Medicaid waivers for people outside of state institutions, and require screening of almost 500,000 children for childhood trauma.
