As the General Assembly considers an expansion of Medicaid, Virginia’s top health official briefed a Roanoke audience this week on some of the challenges that lie ahead.

Secretary of Health and Human Resources Bill Hazel made no predictions on whether legislators will expand the government insurance program for the poor and disabled as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

But in a speech Monday at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Hazel said a key concern is whether the pledge of federal funding for much of the expansion will hold true over time.

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