AARP: Report Shows Medicaid Expansion Will Help 32,100 Virginia Veterans and Their Families

RICHMOND_ As AARP works to support Medicaid expansion in Virginia, a recent report by the Urban Institute and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows that more than 32,000 currently uninsured Virginia veterans will receive health coverage if Medicaid expansion is implemented.

During the 2013 regular session, the Virginia General Assembly adopted an amendment to the 2013 budget that could expand Medicaid under provisions of the Affordable Care Act after certain reforms are made.

“As we honor our veterans on this Memorial Day, Virginia can be proud that we will be able to provide much-needed help to those who have served our nation by expanding affordable health care coverage to veterans currently without health insurance,” said Bob Blancato, AARP Virginia State President.  “AARP continues to fight for affordable health coverage in Virginia to help veterans, as well as the more than 62,000 hard-working 50- to 64-year olds who are struggling without health insurance.”

The report, “Uninsured Veterans and Family Members: Who Are They and Where Do They Live?”, says there are 1.3 million veterans under age 65 uninsured in the United States, and about 40 percent of those could qualify for health coverage through Medicaid expansion.

“Our uninsured veterans’ health care coverage depends upon Medicaid expansion, and they deserve our support to make sure they get it,” Blancato said.

Many assume that all veterans receive Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care coverage, but that’s not the case.  VA care is out of reach for low-income veterans who do not live near VA facilities or are unaware that VA care is available.  In addition, VA eligibility is determined by other factors including service-related disabilities and income, and many veterans make too much money to qualify for VA assistance, but not enough to afford insurance on their own.  Most spouses of veterans do not qualify for VA assistance or for Medicaid under current requirements.

The need for care is particularly great for veterans who often have chronic health problems that may go untreated because they lack insurance coverage.  According to the report, one-third of uninsured veterans nationally have at least one chronic health problem, over 40 percent have unmet medical needs and more than a third have delayed getting needed care because of high costs.  Uninsured veterans’ families would also benefit from Medicaid expansion – the report says that more than half of those family members have unmet medical needs.

Medicaid expansion under the ACA allows states to extend coverage to individuals with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level – about $15,000 for an individual and $32,000 for a family of four.  In Virginia, nearly 12,300 veterans are at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level, and would be eligible for Medicaid coverage if Virginia chooses expansion.  Additionally, 4,100 spouses of veterans could qualify for coverage if Virginia implements Medicaid expansion.

The federal government will pay 100 percent of the cost of Medicaid expansion in Virginia for the first three years and that figure gradually moves to 90 percent thereafter, pumping significant money into the state’s economy.  It will also generate significant cost savings, providing access to preventive care that veterans and their families need while reducing the need for expensive emergency room care and related overcrowding.

“Medicaid expansion will benefit many in our state, but our veterans and their families in particular deserve to get the health care they need,” Bob Blancato said.  “The truth is we’re not doing enough for our veterans, but Medicaid expansion in Virginia will help.”

In addition to supporting state veterans and their families, AARP successfully fought for Medicaid expansion in Virginia during the most recent legislative session.

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