RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced scaled back plans Monday to increase health care coverage for the state's poor, but it will not provide coverage for the vast majority of the 400,000 low-income adults who would have been eligible for an expanded Medicaid program. <\/p>\n
The only low-income adults eligible for new health coverage under McAuliffe's plans would be about 20,000 currently uninsured residents who have a severe mental illness. <\/p>\n
The governor has made expanding Medicaid using mostly federal funds a top priority and has repeatedly promised that he would do so. But he said Monday that he does not have the authority to do it without the General Assembly, where the Republican majority staunchly opposes expansion. <\/p>\n
\"Trust me, If I could do this on my own I would do it,\" McAuliffe said at a Capitol news conference. He added that he's not giving up on expansion and remains optimistic that it can be done in the future. <\/p>\n
In place of Medicaid expansion, McAuliffe announced a 10-point plan Monday aimed at encouraging adults and children already eligible for publicly subsidized health care coverage to enroll in various programs. <\/p>\n
The state and the federal government would each pay about $80 million a year to cover the costs of new coverage for uninsured residents with a severe mental illness. The plan still has to be approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. <\/p>\n
The governor also plans to begin including dental coverage for about 45,000 pregnant women who already receive publicly funded health care and to allow state workers to enroll their children FAMIS, an insurance program for low-income children whose families don't qualify for Medicaid. <\/p>\n
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McAuliffe proposes limited health care expansion<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" RICHMOND, Va. Continue reading