Virginia Medicaid Expansion Could Hinge on Election Outcome

Whether Virginia expands its Medicaid program could depend on the outcome of the state's gubernatorial election this November, according to a Politico report.

Republican candidate Ken Cuccinelli, currently the Virginia attorney general, has opposed the idea of expanding the state's Medicaid program under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to the report. The existing Medicaid program is plagued with waste, fraud and abuse and needs to be reformed to address those issues rather than expanded, Cuccinelli's campaign told Politico.

A spokesman for Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe didn't respond to a request for comment, according to the report.

Earlier this year, the state created a legislative panel with the authority to approve the Medicaid expansion. The election outcome and what it says about the state's political climate could influence the Medicaid panel, Kyle Kondik of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics told Politico.

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