Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Medicaid topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Norfolk health director: Medicaid changes threaten coverage for tens of thousands; city forming work group
Summary
Dr. Susan Gerard told the Norfolk City Council that about 71,748 residents receive Medicaid benefits and that proposed federal changes (shorter renewals, an 80-hour work requirement, new copays, and expiring ACA premium subsidies) could put thousands at risk of losing coverage; the city will form a multi-agency work group to mitigate impacts.
Dr. Susan Gerard, district health director for the Norfolk Health District, told the City Council on Nov. 18 that 71,748 Norfolk residents — roughly one-third of the city’s population, according to her presentation — currently receive some form of Medicaid benefits and face multiple federal and marketplace changes that could reduce coverage and increase strain on local safety-net services.
"71748 people in Norfolk receive some sort of Medicaid benefits," Gerard said, and she outlined three principal changes she said will affect enrollees: shortening redetermination windows from annual to every six months; an 80-hour-per-month work or community engagement requirement for many adults; and new cost-sharing of up to $35 for some services. Gerard also warned that expirations of federal premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act marketplace plans could raise monthly costs by as much as $400 for some households.
The presentation estimated a range of people at risk from the work requirement alone — roughly 15,000 to 33,000 residents depending on who meets the 80‑hour threshold — and a local fiscal impact tied to the loss of premium credits that Gerard calculated could be about $31,000,000 per year no longer flowing back to Norfolk.
Gerard described a proposed Medicaid Community Impact Reduction Work Group she said the health district would chair, with standing members from the city’s Department of Human Services and the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS), and action teams focused on community mobilization, provider coordination, policy engagement and systems tracking. "We probably need a call center," she said, listing 211 as a starting point to be reinforced.
Council members pressed for clarifications on preexisting conditions, platform readiness, and budget effects. Gerard reiterated that Medicaid eligibility is income-based and does not consider preexisting conditions; she and council members also noted uncertainty about DMAS’s ability to capture work hours and other new tracking requirements before the policies go into effect. She said the city has, at best, a runway to January 2027 to prepare for implementation.
Council members and staff proposed community hub models using libraries, churches and neighborhood centers to offer transportation, language assistance and application help; staff also flagged the need for a single public-facing resource on the city website and for liaison representation with state leaders and the incoming administration.
What happens next: the council endorsed formation of the work group and asked staff to return with implementation details. Gerard and staff signaled the work will include capacity building for DHS, coordination with federally qualified health centers and hospitals, and a public communications plan. The council did not vote on any ordinance at the meeting; the presentation concluded with directives to pursue the work group and to report back to council.
