‘Elected leaders can and should be working at all levels to retain the unique advantages and innovations of the ACA’

Virginia’s Medicaid Expansion Keeps The Momentum Going

Millions of Virginians celebrated earlier this year when the state decided to expand Medicaid to provide healthcare to some 400,000 low-income residents who desperately need it. This was an amazing achievement, bringing to fruition the promise of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but our success doesn’t mean the health care fight is over. We need to preserve what we’ve attained and move forward.

There are few issues more critical or more personal than health care, and prospects for increasing coverage, lowering costs, and driving innovation will continue to shape family conversations, community priorities, and political races. Fortunately, we are on the right path.

Many policymakers will evaluate our health care improvements by the statistics; for example, the 20 million Americans who gained health insurance since the ACA or the 100,000 or more Virginians who can now obtain opioid addiction treatment under Medicaid. But for most people, the real measure of success is found in their own lives.[1]

For me, that centers on my son, Jay, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3. Before the ACA, his access to treatment was limited. The weekly co-pay totals for all of his required sessions was $200. This caused a financial burden on us as a middle-class family. Additionally, the health plan would only cover 20 sessions per year. This was inadequate for Jay, who is nonverbal and has been diagnosed with Level 3 Autism. 

The difference from the picture after the ACA is like night and day. Today, Jay can receive all of his required treatment with no limits free of charge.  They include speech and occupational therapy sessions, in addition to the applied behavioral analysis he previously received. This will help reduce the limitations he faces throughout his life.

As a member of the Dumfries Town Council, I hear similar stories from constituents all the time: a widowed mom who was offered a free fitness membership under her Medicare Advantage health plan, so she could get active and get out of the house more often. A woman who suffered for years with undiagnosed depression until the ACA guaranteed coverage for mental health services, and scores of patients with everything from cancer to autoimmune diseases or diabetes who were screened and then got treatment likely to lengthen and improve their lives.

Virginians are glad their health plans are doing more—not only covering more services at a lower cost, but also coordinating their care, offering telehealth options to get answers to medical questions 24/7, and even providing digital health coaching. We’re pleased the health care sector is adding jobs, and a healthier workforce is building a stronger economy.

Excellent health care means a lot to families in Dumfries and across Virginia. That’s why elected leaders can and should be working at all levels to retain the unique advantages and innovations of the ACA.

[1] https://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/medicaid-program-expands-access-for-addiction-treatment-but-the-death/article_ca0ad5f9-7b95-5b10-8521-800cd12b9614.html