The narrow Republican majority means that Medicaid expansion is a possibility this year, said Stephen Farnsworth at University of Mary Washington. Republicans in more rural parts of the state have a great incentive to protect sometimes struggling community hospitals, he said.
“All you need is a couple [Republican] members of the House of Delegates worried that their community hospitals are going to fail because of the large number of people who can’t afford to pay for the healthcare they’ve consumed,” Farnsworth said.
