Nearly one year after the expansion of Virginia’s Medicaid benefits took effect, nearly 70 percent of eligible Alexandrians have signed up.
“This has been really, really busy, but it’s going well,” said Patrick Okoronkwo, benefit programs manager for the City of Alexandria. “It’s something everybody should have.”
Before Medicaid expansion, Okoronkwo said there were about 6,000 people in the City of Alexandria estimated to be eligible and in need of Medicaid benefits. Out of that number, Okoronkwo said 4,153 have been enrolled as of Nov. 22. For the last year, Okoronkwo said his office’s job has been to go around and do everything they can to reach out to eligible locals.
“We have gone to different locations to talk about it,” Okoronkwo said, “and the state did a lot of outreach and postings.”
To be eligible to receive benefits under the Medicaid expansion, Okoronkwo said people need to be at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty line. That’s $17,236 for a single person and $29,435 for an adult in a household of three people.
Okoronkwo said people eligible for benefits can apply online or by calling 1-855-242-8282.
While Medicaid can be applied for year-round, Okoronkwo said the deadline for federal aid through the Affordable Care Act is Wednesday at 3 a.m. — a few hours from now. Anyone who misses that deadline will have to wait until next fall to enroll.
Okoronkwo said another part of the Medicaid expansion has been combating misleading information. Some eligible applicants have withdrawn their applications to receive benefits over fear that it could make citizenship more difficult to acquire.
“The Federal government announced that if you are collecting benefits and have a Green Card, you may not get citizenship,” Okoronkwo said. “But Medicaid is not included in that. SNAP, TANF and housing are, not Medicaid.”
Even then, Okoronkwo noted that there is still a legal challenge pending for the “public charge” rule. Getting medical care to those who need it, Okoronkwo suggested, helps society as a whole.
“For me, I am elated when I see people who have been postponing going to the hospital [use it],” he said. “Nobody will hire someone who is sick and it helps people who have had to file for bankruptcy because of medical bills.”
Photo via David Kessler/Flickr
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If you had a chance to enhance a child’s future with a time commitment of less than 2 hours a week, how would you respond? You have that opportunity right now to join over 200 Alexandrians as a reading tutor volunteer with the Alexandria Tutoring Consortium (ATC).
ATC tutors work with one child in kindergarten, first, or second grade in Alexandria public schools who need extra help with reading. Tutors meet with their Book Buddy 1-2 times each week for 30 minutes October-May at school, during school hours. Many struggling readers only receive one-on-one instruction through this program, and it makes all the difference. Last year, ATC served 195 children, of whom 82% ended the year reading on grade level and 96% made substantial reading gains. But the need is great, and we are still seeing learning lags from the pandemic.
This year, ATC plans to significantly increase the size of the program to reach over 250 students and to serve every elementary school in Alexandria. This is very exciting news, but we will only succeed if we can recruit more tutors. ATC trains you, matches you with a child, and provides ongoing lesson materials and support.
If you have been thinking about buying your first home or haven’t owned one in the last three years, THIS IS FOR YOU!
In the DMV area, it can be difficult to save the downpayment necessary for you to get into your own home. We have a solution. The Funder’s Summit!
We have assembled a summit with different municipalities to tell you how to access their funds for your home purchase.
2023 Alexandria Fall Festival
Food trucks, bounce houses, pony rides, magic shows and more at the 2023 Alexandria Fall Festival, an Alexandria Living event presented by The Patterson Group. Join us at River Farm on Sunday, Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
