The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, and its health care program, Virginia Consumer Voices, believe that we can convince the General Assembly to close the health care coverage gap and expand Medicaid in Virginia during its January-February 2017 session. Doing so, would allow 400,000 Virginians to get health coverage and bring in $4 million a day into Virginia. To do so, we must double-down on our advocacy. Here’s how you and your congregation can help:
As an individual, you can:
- Write individual letters to your Delegate and your Senator urging them to support Medicaid Expansion. Visit http://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov to find the names of your Delegate and Senator. Visit www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org for a sample letter.
- Make sure you are registered to vote. Visit https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation to register.
- Attend any town hall meetings your Delegate or Senator organize and ask questions about what the Delegate or Senator is doing to make sure that Virginians have health insurance. Be sure to look at the VICPP/VCV fact sheets before you go.
- Ask friends and family members who “fall in the gap” to share their stories. There are 400,000 Virginians who could be covered by Virginia’s Medicaid program if the General Assembly would agree to take available Medicaid funds to expand coverage, saving Virginia money. Currently, Virginia has one of the most restrictive Medicaid programs in the nation. Approximately 230,000 of these Virginians earn too little to qualify for subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. We need these Virginians to tell their stories to the public and to your Delegate and Senator. Virginia Consumer Voices is videotaping people’s stories. Please contact Karen Cameron at Karen@vaconsumervoices.org or 804-658-3956 about participating. Also, be sure to encourage those who fall in the gap to share their stories with the elected leaders in town hall forums and individual meetings with the legislators.
As a congregation, you can:
- Organize a letter-writing time to send personal letters to your Delegates and Senators. (Some congregations have members in multiple districts.) Visit www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org to get ideas on how to organize a letter writing time.
- Invite your Delegate and Senator to talk with the congregation or your adult group about what he or she is going to do to help close the coverage gap.
- Make sure everyone in your congregation is registered to vote and goes to the polls. By August, Virginia Interfaith Center will have a toolkit on voter registration and engagement.
- Invite a speaker from Virginia Interfaith Center to your congregation.
Work with members of your local government (city or county) to pass a resolution calling on the General Assembly to pass Medicaid Expansion. Sample resolutions are available at www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org.