Virginia moves to suspend Medicaid work requirements

Virginia is moving to drop work requirements from its Medicaid program after Democrats took full control of the state legislature.

Gov. Ralph Northam (D) said in a statement that he has instructed the state’s Medicaid director to “pause” negotiations with the Trump administration about how to implement the requirements that certain “able-bodied” Medicaid recipients need to work and pay premiums.

“Virginians made it clear they want more access to health care, not less," he said in the statement. "Given the changed make-up of the General Assembly and based on conversations with new leadership, it is unlikely Virginia will move forward with funding a program that could cause tens of thousands of Virginians to lose health care coverage."

More