Part 1: Accessing Care

Since Medicaid expanded, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital has seen a 3.5% uptick in Medicaid charges, and a corresponding decrease in uninsured patients. (Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne)
Hundreds of thousands of Virginians now have something they didn’t have this time last year– health insurance through Medicaid.
Lawmakers lowered the requirements for the state-run health insurance program in January.
But just because someone has health insurance, doesn’t mean they’re accessing healthcare.
This week we take a look at Medicaid expansion – nine months in. Mallory Noe-Payne begins in Norfolk.
Part 2: Finding a Doctor

Dr. Karen Ransone and husband Dr. Sterling Ransone have had a busy summer. They’ve seen an influx of new patients because of Medicaid expansion. (Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne)
Since Medicaid expansion passed, more than 300,000 Virginians have gotten health insurance. They’re visiting the doctor, getting prescriptions filled, and even accessing cancer treatment.
But earlier this summer Mallory Noe-Payne visited rural Eastern Virginia, where not everyone is able to get an appointment.