Editor, Gazette-Journal:

As you know, our General Assembly adjourned without reaching agreement on the budget because a provision to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare was included. During their session, the Senate did pass a bill which would indirectly provide for health insurance using private companies but with funding provided by the ACA. The House opposed the Senate bill and since no agreement was reached, the governor has called for a special session of the General Assembly on March 24 to pass a budget that will hopefully include Medicaid expansion.

I think failure to pass the Medicaid expansion bill is a travesty. Other than politics, there is absolutely no rational reason not to pass it. It will cost the state nothing. In fact, according to a fiscal analysis done by the Commonwealth Institute in 2013, Virginia would receive $2.08 billion from ACA and would have outlays of $1.02 billion for a net gain of $1.06 billion. Those opposed to the expansi...