October may bring new concerns about people losing their healthcare because of changing federal law.
Back in 2021, an interpreter who risked his life for the U.S. military in Afghanistan brought his family to Central Virginia. Now, they’re facing a grim new reality: as of October, the first refugees, asylum seekers and victims of human trafficking are no longer receiving Medicaid.
"With our help, both Ahmed and Hasma found work, but under these new policies, their work authorization has expired," says Jay Brown, CEO of Commonwealth Catholic Charities. "They continue to wait for permanent residency, and starting today, they do not have access to Medicaid or SNAP benefits, and they remain unable to work to provide for themselves."
Virginia Health and Human Resources Secretary Marvin Figueroa says the administration is trying to help constituents in every way possible.
"We've been able to make contact with some, not all, unfortunately. And for those who we have been getting in contact with is trying to figure out what is their other options, and so we have been able to identify that for some," Figueroa says. "But look, even with all the efforts that we're making, these folks who are lawfully present, who are working hard, who are neighbors, have to go through this."
New work requirements will kick even more people off Medicaid in January, not because they don't have a job but because the new rules require more paperwork more often – which means more opportunities for people to fall through the cracks and lose access to healthcare.
