Virginia Medicaid Expansion Would Fail Hispanic Residents

RICHMOND, Virginia, Feb. 9 -- LIBRE Initiative issued the following news release:

Lawmakers in Virginia are considering whether to expand access to Medicaid under Obamacare for residents of the state. Governor Northam has expressed support for an expansion, and leaders in the legislature have proposed reforms to Medicaid that hold the potential to make it more effective and less costly.

Lorenzo Martinez, Virginia Field Director of The LIBRE Initiative, released the following statement:

"It's important that policymakers promote reforms that eliminate government barriers, rules, and regulations that raise the cost of health care and deny people access to insurance at competitive prices. Polls show that consumers are more satisfied with private insurance that they have chosen, than they are with the limited choice and poor outcomes associated with the government-funded Medicaid program.

"Expanding Medicaid offers inferior care to more people, instead of giving people access to care they want and value. And given the exploding cost of Medicaid to federal taxpayers, states like Virginia may find it harder and harder to cover the cost of Medicaid if lawmakers in Washington begin to curb Medicaid spending in years ahead.

"Lawmakers should focus less on expanding government programs and more on ensuring that people can afford the insurance and health care that they want and need."