Published by The Roanoke Times
Stewart is National Training & Consumer Education Manager for Young Invincibles, a group founded to provide a voice for young adults in the health care debate.
However, an unfair provision included in the final expansion agreement threatens to undermine this tremendous progress and deny coverage thousands of these hardworking Virginians. Lawmakers included a new, punitive provision that many Medicaid enrollees must prove that they work a certain number of hours per month to keep their basic health care.
That’s why it is not surprising that we’ve seen an outpouring of opposition to Medicaid work requirements from folks across the state in recent weeks.
That’s because Virginians know these restrictive work requirements would be devastating for those who already face the highest barriers to quality health care.
The notion of work requirements are advanced by politicians under the false claim that Medicaid enrollees are choosing not to work, and that imposing the programs would incentivize work. That is simply not true.
Moreover, the risk of losing health insurance because of work requirements goes beyond those unable to work. The administrative burden placed upon those that already work to verify their employment will also lead to coverage losses. Thousands of Virginians could lose their health coverage not because they aren’t working, but because they cannot navigate the maze of bureaucratic red tape to document, verify, and report their hours worked every month.
For the 255,000 young adults who are currently enrolled in Medicaid or will become eligible with the expansion, access to health care is an essential lifeline. That’s why so many Virginians have spoken out in opposition to these harmful “requirements” and why Young Invincibles is joining them to defend coverage for our fellow Virginians.