Over the last few weeks, the Republican-controlled Virginia House of Delegates has inched closer and closer to striking a deal on Medicaid expansion. Of course, the most conservative members of the Republican delegation are against it. They are claiming it is just their political bloc caving in to expansion allowed under the Obama-era Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA) and Governor Ralph Northam’s progressive agenda. Though, House Republicans were able to get work requirements passed for Medicaid recipients, an issue that was held with fiery contention among the most liberal members of the legislature.
Due the passage of work requirements, some Republican members of the House have been ridiculed for laying down to Democratic demands. What is conservative about more government intervention in the lives of constituents? Nevertheless, if one questions the conservatism behind the inevitable Medicaid expansion, just look at who is beginning to attack it.
Brian Johns with Virginia Organizing said recently, “We are going to keep being the force pushing for straight expansion,” according to a post from Think Progress. The “non-partisan” (insert laughter) group is putting pressure on Virginia lawmakers by holding rallies in support of full Medicaid expansion with no strings attached.
While the Democratic Caucus favors that House Republicans are open to talking about Medicaid expansion this session, they adamantly oppose the conditions by which they will allow it. Liberal groups around the commonwealth are shouting their disgust with the plan that includes work requirements.
Planned Parenthood (PP) of Virginia took to Twitter last week exclaiming the Republican’s direction for Medicaid expansion in the state. They said:
“The GOP-led House included #MedicaidExpansion in their budget proposal – a major step forward. BUT access to healthcare is a right and shouldn’t be restricted to those who are able to work. We’ll keep advocating for a clean Medicaid Expansion plan!”
Last week, the Republican-led House passed House Bill 338, imposing work requirements on Virginia’s one million current Medicaid recipients. Now, before liberals become sick with anger about forcing a one-armed, disabled, pregnant, poor woman to work, the bill does provide for exceptions to the plan. Exceptions will be provided to those who are elderly, children, pregnant women, and others who are not deemed “able bodied,” according to the bill.
Currently, if one wishes to claim Medicaid benefits, they are not allowed to work. What if someone who needs Medicaid wishes to make a few extra bucks on the side designing websites, or waiting tables, or selling crocheted hats with kittens on them? Well, now they can.
Progress Virginia, who fervently explains they are, “fighting to build a future where every Virginian can succeed,” (insert additional laughter) is claiming Republicans are “pulling a fast one” on health insurance. “Work requirements don’t create jobs or raise wages—they put onerous and punitive requirements between our friends and neighbors and the healthcare they need,” according to them.
Blue Virginia tweeted:
“I agree 100% w/@ProgressVA on the House GOP’s plans for expanding Medicaid in VA.: ‘the devil is most certainly in the details and the details in the House Appropriations plan give us serious cause for concern…a clean expansion is the best path forward.'”
Liberals activists say they support, “this option (called a “clean” expansion) because it’s the fastest and most common sense way to get Virginians access to healthcare without delays or political games.” Ah, yes – common sense, that is something everyone can get behind. Who doesn’t have common sense, after all, it’s common, right?
The Medicaid expansion plan will cost Virginia taxpayers around $421 million. Without more people working there will be an even bigger disparagement between the payers and the recipients. Therefore, providing that there is a work requirement, more people will be able to contribute to funding the plan.
However, some say making people work is cruel. The National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) Pro-Choice (Pro-abortion in non-AP style) of Virginia is one of these groups. Last week, they tweeted:
“The proposal won’t help as many people as clean expansion would and won’t do it as quickly…It will also make burdensome and unnecessary work requirements.”
“The House of Delegates Proposed budget includes a work-requirements first Medicaid expansion proposal that will require Virginia to go through the waiver process and includes health savings plans for those at 100-130% of Federal Poverty Level. Cruel proposals.”
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant commentary. Why should people have to work? Why don’t we all get Bernie-style handouts and let the “1%” pay for everything?
NARAL is an abortion access organization (let’s be honest with ourselves), not a pro-choice activism group fighting for the rights of women. This, of course, would have to assume that women do not have rights in the first place. Maybe that is why women are leaving the feminist movements in droves.
Nonetheless, NARAL, PP, and other abortion rights groups are doing their part for Medicaid expansion. Why not kill those who will eventually receive Medicaid benefits before they are even born?
Anna Scholl, executive director of Progress Virginia, recently said, “this conversation around work requirements is yet another way to stigmatize and demonize people who are trying to make ends meet.” Actually, she is wrong. The aforementioned stipulation on current Medicaid recipient law require someone to not work to receive benefits.
“[There’s] nothing fundamentally wrong or immoral with being poor,” she said. Anna is right. There is nothing morally wrong with being poor – it may be misguided, but not wrong. So, would it not make sense that people who need Medicaid benefits to survive be allowed to work in some capacity?
Think about the professional protesters, Anna. What about those who want to make $15 an hour holding a poorly-drawn picket sign in front of the General Assembly? If there are no work requirements, they will not be able to receive their beloved Medicaid and collect a paycheck.
While conservatives may think Medicaid expansion is a season-ending loss, the fact is, House Republicans have blown out the hallmark of the progressive agenda. This is on par with the rest of the freshman Democrats who have watched all of their bills fail. Progressive governance in the 21st century is built on resistance. As many have learned, resistance is futile.
