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Virginia Public Health Association

Rally for Health Care

11 Mar 2014 10:41 AM | Deleted user
The Time is Now for Health Care in Virginia


The time is now for health care for all Virginians. The Legislature annually wrestles with questions of how to fund a long list of programs and services including quality public education for our children, supports and services for the elderly and disabled and adequate funding for public safety programs, to name a few. But, from the perspective of people of faith, caring for our neighbors and supporting families are guiding principles that shape our view of legislative decision-making and so we say clearly, the time is now for health care for all Virginians.


Nearly 400,000 Virginians would benefit from increased access to healthcare coverage. They include members of middle to low income families and about 70 percent of those who could be covered are part of a family where at least one adult works in a low-wage job that does not include benefits. They do not earn enough to buy private health insurance coverage.


The economic argument for expanding Medicaid is strong. What the uninsured aren’t getting is regular preventive health care that keeps them at work and out of expensive hospital emergency rooms. The Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services estimates that the expansion could save Virginia $1 billion by 2022 largely because charity care at teaching hospitals, care for prisoners and mental health services would shift from the state's general fund to Medicaid, with the federal government picking up most of the cost. The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association reported that expanding Medicaid will create 30,000 new jobs in the state.
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Ultimately, the decision is about helping people in need. The decision to support expansion does not rest on dollars and cents calculations. The General Assembly has concluded and there is still no solution to the health care coverage gap. The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy is joining along with other advocacy groups to raise the voices of consumers and everyday people to call for the General Assembly to solve the coverage gap during a special session.


Please join us on March 15
th in Richmond, Virginia.  We will meet at the Capitol Bell Tower for a rally to solve the health care gap in Virginia.  All together we hope to have 1,000 people participate from all parts of the Commonwealth, so arrive early to allow for parking near the Richmond Convention Center. We are also making plans for buses to come from northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and the New River Valley but those plans are still being finalized so let us know if you need help with transportation.

Rally for Health Care
Capitol Bell Tower

March 15, 2014

11 am to 12 pm

Register Online


Providing health care saves people’s lives, which is what our faith traditions are all about. It is time that our Legislators here in Virginia recognize what we already know: that access to health care is a moral issue, not a political one.

Marco A. Grimaldo

CEO & President
© Virginia Public Health Association (VPHA)
All Rights Reserved

VPHA • Richmond, Virginia


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