VA02 Democratic Nominee Elaine Luria Releases Plan to Make Health Care Affordable & Accessible for Every Virginian

Good stuff from the Elaine Luria for Congress (VA02) campaign:

Elaine Luria Releases Plan to Make Health Care Affordable & Accessible for Every Virginian

Kiggans voted to gut Medicaid and take away health care subsidies, making care more expensive

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Today, former small business owner, 20-year U.S. Navy veteran, and two-term member of Congress Elaine Luria released her plan to make health care affordable and accessible for all by cutting the cost of care, cutting the complexity of care, and closing the rural health care gap.

“Every Virginian deserves access to low-cost, high-quality health care regardless of their income or where they live. Despite being a veteran and nurse, Jen Kiggans has voted repeatedly to rip health care away from her fellow veterans, cut billions from Medicaid and rural hospitals, and raise the cost of health care for middle class families to give tax cuts to billionaires,” Elaine said. “It’s time we cut the cost of health care, cut the complexity of health care, and close the rural health care gap, so Virginians have access to the affordable and accessible health care they need and deserve.”

Elaine’s Plan to Make Health Care Affordable & Accessible for All:

• Cut the Cost of Care

  • Cut health care costs by over $200 per month for the middle class by restoring ACA premium subsidies.

  • Cut health care costs for seniors by expanding the number of drugs Medicare can negotiate on and extending the reduced cost benefits to Americans on private insurance.

  • Cut health care costs for working families by cracking down on predatory medical debt collectors, pharmaceutical monopolies, and Wall Street firms buying up hospitals for profit.

• Cut the Complexity of Care

  • Cut the complexity of care for military families by allowing military children to stay on their parents’ Tricare Plan until age 26.

  • Cut the complexity of care for patients and providers by standardizing insurance paperwork and billing requirements, and modernizing the Prior Authorization process.

• Close the Rural Health Care Gap

  • Help rural hospitals stay open by restoring the $1 trillion Jen Kiggans and Donald Trump cut from Medicaid in order to give tax cuts to billionaires.

  • Ensure equal health care access for rural Virginians by expanding federal loan repayment for doctors and nurses who commit to serving in rural communities.

  • Expand access to telehealth, mobile health clinics, community health centers, and rural emergency medical services so geography isn’t a barrier to care.

Last month Rep. Luria released her plan to Right the Ship in Washington which covers her policy priorities on a range of important issues, including a ban on stock trading for members of Congress, restoring funding for Medicaid and ACA premium subsidies, lowering prices on everyday goods, and campaign finance reform.

In July, Rep. Luria released her first two ads of the cycle, including “Ready,” which highlights her commitment to being ready to fight corruption in Washington and lower prices for working families, and “Fight for Virginia,” which highlights how her background as a Navy veteran and small business owner have prepared her to fight for Hampton Roads in Washington.

In addition to being added to the DCCC’s Red to Blue list, Rep. Luria has secured key endorsements from Gov. Abigail Spanberger, Sen. Tim Kaine, Sen. Mark Warner, Rep. Bobby Scott, Rep. James Walkinshaw, Rep. Jennifer McClellan, Rep. Eugene Vindman, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, Rep. Don Beyer, State Sen. Aaron Rouse, Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Don Scott, Del. Kelly Convirs-Fowler, Del. Michael Feggans, Del. Nadarius Clark, Del. Cliff Hayes, Del. Alex Askew, SEIU Virginia State Council, United Steelworkers, Amalgamated Transit Union, United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, AFGE, MoveOn, VoteVets, New Politics, 314 Action Fund, League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Action Fund, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Brady PAC, EMILY’s List, DMFI, New Democrat Coalition Action Fund, and Elect Democratic Women.

Kiggans has established a pattern of promising Virginians one thing in public, only to turn around and vote the other way in Washington. Kiggans lied when she promised to protect access to health care, only to turn around and vote for the largest cuts to Medicaid in history. Kiggans lied when she said she would extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, but then voted to allow health care premiums to skyrocket. Kiggans lied again when she promised to protect clean energy tax credits, but then “flip-flopped” and voted to take a “sledgehammer” to the credits instead. Kiggans has voted 100% of the time with Donald Trump – demonstrating that she puts her D.C. party bosses ahead of the Virginians she claims to represent.

She has said she “couldn’t be a stauncher supporter” of the Iran war and voted against bipartisan resolutions in March and April to end it. Last month, she voted for the fifth time to continue the war despite the deaths of four American service members in Iranian attacks. In June, Kiggans was caught red-handed scrubbing “parts of her campaign website discussing the cost of gas and the economic struggles of Virginians,” as gas prices soared.

Kiggans was a major proponent of DOGE even as the agency wrecked Virginia’s economy and hurt veterans. Local media reported that “Kiggans embraced the program from the outset” and even said DOGE was “so necessary.” It has been reported that Kiggans’ backing of DOGE led to “the termination of more than $8.3 million in grants and leases tied to the district, including funding streams connected to veterans services and facilities.”