RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ The Virginia Chamber of Commerce is renewing its push for expanded Medicaid eligibility in the Old Dominion, saying it would be good for the state’s economy. The group presented at a Capitol news conference Monday what it said was the “business case” for increasing the number of low-income Virginia residents who qualify for publicly financed health insurance.
Like a proposal currently in the Senate’s budget, the chamber supports an expanded Medicaid program that emphasizes the use of private insurers. But Republican leaders in the House of Delegates appear unmoved by the chamber’s efforts.
House Speaker William J. Howell says the chamber and its leaders aren’t looking at the long-term consequences of expanding a Medicaid program that is already growing at what he says are unsustainable rates.
