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What happens if Medicaid is cut? Virginia lawmakers aren't waiting to find out

Democrats who run the General Assembly are worried that the Trump administration might cut Medicaid and take away health insurance for lower-income people in Virginia.

Katina Moss of Richmond is worried about losing her health insurance if the federal government starts unwinding Medicaid.

"With the current cost of health insurance and paying out of pocket for health services, I really don't see how I would be able to go to my doctors appointments, or if necessary get prescription medications, if my coverage were taken away," she says. "There are over 630,000 people who are in my same situation."

Senator Creigh Deeds is a Democrat from Charlottesville who is a senior member of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. And he says Virginia can't just stand by and do nothing while people are getting kicked off Medicaid.

"Over 600,000 people are at risk of losing access to health care because of this irresponsible act," Deeds says. "It is a federal responsibility, and we've got to hold their feet to the fire and make sure that the federal government addresses this. But this is something that is going to affect real Virginians, affect people we care about."

Providing health insurance for those people would cost about $1.5 billion if the state picks up the tab. Deeds says members of the General Assembly are probably going to be coming back to Richmond later this year for a special session to come up with a fix.

This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.

Michael Pope is an author and journalist who lives in Old Town Alexandria.