More than 272,500 Virginians have already enrolled in Medicaid since enrollment for the state’s Medicaid expansion began on January 1, 2019.

According to the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services:

• Nearly 200,000 of the enrollees live below the federal poverty line
• More than 96,000 are parents
• 61% are female
• Nearly half are between the ages of 19 and 34

Residents of the Central Virginia and Tidewater areas have particularly benefited from the expansion, with roughly 133,000 of the new enrollees coming from those two regions.

Beyond the numbers, the tangible impact of Medicaid expansion has been enormous. Earlier this spring, we highlighted the story of Sophia Spruill, who had stage four cancer and had to give up her pain medication after a divorce left her without insurance. But after enrolling in Medicaid, she was able to get her medication, which changed her life.

Sophia’s is just one of more than 272,500 stories — a number that will continue to grow, as more and more of the 400,000 Virginians who are eligible for the program sign up for coverage.