RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ House Republican leaders are planning a full floor vote on a Senate plan to accept federal Medicaid funds to provide health insurance to low-income residents who are currently without coverage. The vote is set for Thursday. The House is likely to reject the Senate’s plan.
House GOP leaders have been adamantly opposed to Medicaid expansion, saying the current program should be reformed before more people are added. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Chris Jones said the purpose of Thursday’s planned vote is to make clear that the GOP caucus shares that opposition.
Democrats and some Republican senators have argued that Virginia can’t afford to pass up billions in federal funds. At a news conference Wednesday, supporters of increased Medicaid eligibility said Virginia had already forfeited $250 million this year.
