The Virginia House of Delegates voted overwhelmingly Monday to pass legislation that would direct the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to conduct a comprehensive external operational study and financial audit of Virginia’s Medicaid Program. The legislation, HJ40, passed the House 70 to 29. House Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Medicaid Innovation and Reform Commission Steve Landes issued the following statement: “There is clear consensus that Virginia’s Medicaid program needs significant reform. The Virginia General Assembly voted to create the Medicaid Innovation and Reform Commission to oversee the implementation of a series of reforms to help bend the cost curve and increase the quality of care in Medicaid, before any consideration was given to Medicaid expansion. “This is the process both parties and both chambers agreed to last year. As Vice Chairman of the MIRC, I am proud to say that we have made some progress at reforming and improving Medicaid – but simply not enough. In order for MIRC to continue its work, a comprehensive external review of Medicaid is necessary.” “I know that many will say Medicaid has been audited plenty, but I disagree. As the 2010 audit of the Virginia Department of Transportation showed, it never hurts to look one more time. Medicaid spending in Virginia has grown by 1600% over the last 30 years, and it continues to grow at an average rate of 8 percent per year. It now consumes over one-fifth of Virginia’s general fund spending, and threatens to crowd out other key services like K-12 education and public safety. “As Virginia continues to debate the future of ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion, we must know exactly what challenges and obstacles we face. With rapidly-changing financial projections on the cost of expansion, significant evidence of waste and fraud and uncertainty about the fiscal future in Washington, a comprehensive external study and audit of Medicaid is the responsible and prudent next step in the process.”