Medicaid Expansion Bad for Virginians

Could expanding a program for the poor hurt the poor?  When combined with mandates on both citizens and doctors, yes, expect the program to become more expensive and less valuable for both the poor and increasingly the middle class.

Expect a process that could look something like this:

1. ACA calls for expanding Medicaid eligibility to 133% of poverty.
2. More people eligible means more people forced onto Medicaid.
3. More people on the program means fewer profitable patients for doctors which means less money for doctors.
4. Less money for doctors means fewer doctors taking Medicaid.
5. Fewer doctors taking Medicaid means an expensive supply of coverage and a shortage of care.

Even just yesterday the Virginia House recognized our doctor shortage.

If a family of four or five making over $50,000 per year wants health care other than Medicaid, they need to steer clear of either a federal or a state exchange/marketplace.

This becomes even harder if Virginia expands Medicaid.

The same is true for any other state still deciding on Medicaid expansion.