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Watch the event HERE and view photos from the event HERE.
RICHMOND, Va. – Senator Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville) yesterday joined The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, SEIU Virginia State Council and Protect Our Care Virginia to discuss congressional Republicans’ plan to slash trillions from Medicaid in order to hand out $4.6 trillion in tax breaks to the wealthy.
Virginia is one of nine states with a trigger law that will automatically disenroll the entire Medicaid expansion population (more than 600,000 Virginians, or roughly 7% of the state) if federal Medicaid reimbursement levels for that population drop below the current 90%. Fortunately, Senator Deeds and Chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee Ghazala Hashmi have both introduced budget amendments that will remove the trigger language so that the commonwealth is not forced to automatically take health care away from more than 600,000 people if federal reimbursement levels fall even one percentage point.
“In 2018, we recognized that there was a potential for this,” said Senator Deeds. “What if the federal government reneges on their promise? We know since we’ve had Medicaid, since 1965, the federal government has never reneged on their promise. Will they under this president? Maybe that’s the precedent he wants to set. So over 600,000 people are at risk of losing access to health care because of this irresponsible act. It is a federal responsibility. We’ve got to hold their feet to the fire and make sure that the federal government addresses this. But this is something that is going to affect real Virginians.”
“Medicaid is one of the most powerful tools that we have to fight health disparities, poverty and pandemics. Without Medicaid expansion, Virginia would not be leading the South in the percentage of people who have health insurance,” said Senator Hashmi. “Virginia can and must be a leader in the wake of new federal incompetence. Donald Trump and congressional Republicans will continue to prioritize themselves and their ultra-wealthy friends over hardworking people. They do not care if the Medicaid portal doesn’t work because they do not care about Medicaid here in Virginia.”
“Medicaid expansion has removed barriers to care, particularly for many people who are Black and Latino,” said Ashley Kenneth, President and CEO of The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis. “Roughly one in five adults enrolled through expansion are parents, and we know that when parents have health coverage, their children are also more likely to have health coverage. Expanding health care access through Medicaid expansion is about more than health coverage. It’s also about economic security. For people who are eligible due to expansion, Medicaid enrollment is associated with decreased concern about housing, food, health care costs and more.”
“Medicaid makes it possible for people with disabilities and elderly Virginians to receive the care they need and deserve,” said Julia Newton, a home care worker and member of SEIU Virginia 512. “Home care workers make that care possible. We are essential workers who are paid through Medicaid in order to provide assistance for your loved ones. We make it possible for people to receive care and stay in their homes. But now congressional Republicans are trying to gut Medicaid funding in order to pay for tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy. Any reduction from the federal government for Medicaid expansion would mean Virginia automatically ends the program. This would leave hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom seek home care services, without care, and that is cruel and unjust.”
“I am self-employed, and I lived without health insurance for years,” said Richmond resident Katina Moss. “But thanks to a decision from Virginia’s General Assembly to expand Medicaid, cost was no longer a barrier to seeking the care that I needed. Medicaid allows me to care for my parents without having to sacrifice my own health and well-being. I really don’t see how I would be able to go to my doctor’s appointments, or, if necessary, get prescription medications if my coverage were taken away. There are over 630,000 people who are in my same situation, keeping an eye on what is happening with federal Medicaid funding and wondering, will we have health coverage later this year, this month, or even tomorrow?”
Most Americans have favorable views toward Medicaid and overwhelmingly oppose cuts to the program. For years, rising health care costs have been on the top of people’s minds, and they have been a core part of the public’s economic concerns.
You can view the full event here, view photos from the event here, and learn more about the GOP threats to Medicaid here. |
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