RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Virginia is poised to expand Medicaid after years of partisan battles. The Republican-controlled General Assembly is set to pass a state budget Wednesday that’s expected to include expanding Medicaid eligibility to an additional 400,000 low-income adults. Scheduling of the vote comes after a last-ditch parliamentary effort by Senate GOP opponents to block expansion failed Tuesday. Pro-expansion lawmakers have a majority in both the Senate and the House, and Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam is a strong proponent of expansion. Democrats have pushed unsuccessfully for years to expand Medicaid in Virginia. Several state Republicans dropped their opposition this year, saying the state would be better off with increased federal funding for the program. A tally from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that Virginia will become the 33rd state to approve Medicaid expansion.
