Issue Position: Health & Human Services

Issue Position

The Commonwealth of Virginia has long contracted with the Community Services Boards statewide to provide early intervention therapeutic services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays. Current state funding levels are not sufficient to keep pace with enrollment growth. If additional state funding is not committed the shortfall could require the placement of newly eligible families on a waiting list beginning this year. The Infant and Toddler Connection program in Fairfax County has seen a 46% increase in demand in the last two years, from 789 children per month in 2010 to an average of 1,155 children per month in 2012. I worked with parents in our community who are facing these issues and who are desperately seeking these services for their children, but are unable to, due to lack of funding.

I am a strong supporter of the expansion of Medicaid and recognize individuals who need extended services beyond the standard benefits. I support increasing the Medicaid eligibility in Virginia to 138 percent of the federal poverty level as envisioned by the federal health care reform law. Physical and mental health services, as well as dental services, should be included in the Medicaid expansion. Virginia's eligibility requirements are so strict that although we are eleventh in the nation for population and seventh in per capita income, we rank forty-third in Medicaid enrollment in proportion of our population and forty-seventh in per capita Medicaid spending. I oppose shifting Medicaid costs to localities. Physicians and the medical community should also have a voice in the planning process as the policy is finalized.

The Medicaid waiver should provide critical home and community based services for qualified individuals. Again, Virginia ranks seventh in per capita income and yet is 47th in Medicaid spending for persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities. States nationwide set their own income and asset eligibility criteria within federal guidelines. The waiver system must be reformulated. When we take care of our most vulnerable residents it shows we have a commitment to our entire community. We can do better.

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