Miyares voted against Medicaid expansion that now covers 400,000 Virginians.
¶ Miyares Voted Twice Against Expanding Medicaid
May 2018: Miyares Voted Against A Budget Bill That Expanded Medicaid In Virginia. On May 30, 2018 Miyares voted against a budget bill “Amending Chapter 836 of the 2017 Acts of Assembly.” According to the Gazette-Virginian, “The Medicaid expansion is increase health care access for up to 400,000 low-income Virginians, a 40 percent increase from Virginia’s current program.” The bill passed, 67 to 32. [HB 5001, 5/30/18; House Vote, HB 5001, 4/17/18; Gazette-Virginian, 5/31/18]
May 2018: As A Virginia House Delegate, Miyares Voted Against HB 5002, A Budget Bill That Expanded Medicaid. In 2018, according to Virginia’s Legislative Information System, Miyares voted against HB 5002, “Budget Bill. Appropriations of the Budget submitted by the Governor of Virginia in accordance with the provisions of § 2.2-1509, Code of Virginia, and to provide a portion of revenues for the two years ending respectively on the thirtieth day of June, 2019, and the thirtieth day of June, 2020.” The bill was adopted in the Virginia House by 67 to 31 votes. The bill was signed into law. [Virginia’s Legislative Information System – HB 5002 (2018), Introduced 3/21/18; Virginia House Vote, 5/30/18]
- 2018: HB 5002 Included Medicaid Expansion That Covered An Additional 400,000 Low-Income Adults In The Commonwealth. According to The New York Times, “Virginia’s Republican-controlled Senate voted on Wednesday to open Medicaid to an additional 400,000 low-income adults next year, making it all but certain that the state will join 32 others that have already expanded the public health insurance program under the Affordable Care Act. Republican lawmakers in the state had blocked Medicaid expansion for four straight years, but a number of them dropped their opposition after their party almost lost the House of Delegates in elections last fall and voters named health care as a top issue. The vote, on a budget bill that included the Medicaid expansion, came almost three months after the House approved a similar plan. Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat also elected last fall, has been a vocal proponent of the expansion and can now claim a victory that his predecessor, Terry McAuliffe, desperately wanted but never got.” [New York Times, 5/30/18]
- 2018: AARP Noted That Miyares Voted Against Medicaid Expansion And That 1,800 Of Miyares’ Constituents Were Set To Gain Coverage Under The Expansion. According to AARP “Please thank your House of Delegates member TODAY for supporting the new 2018-2020 Virginia state budget that expands Medicaid and increases funding to Long-Term Care Ombudsmen. […] Delegates: Miyares, Jason S. District: 82 Could Gain Coverage: 1,800 Localities in Delegates’ Districts: Virginia Beach City Voted No: X.” [AARP, 6/4/18]