The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP), and its healthcare arm, Virginia Consumer Voices for Healthcare (VCV), believe that they can convince the Virginia General Assembly to close the health insurance coverage gap using federal Medicaid dollars in Virginia. Doing so would allow 400,000 Virginians to get healthcare coverage and bring in $6 million a day into Virginia in federal dollars.
The Center staff and many volunteers have begun a series of meetings in selected districts of the Commonwealth. While it’s important to be in contact with all legislators, it’s especially important to communicate with those Delegates and Senators who have not supported expanding healthcare insurance coverage for all Virginians.
Recent statistics are disturbing:
- Virginia is one of the 10 wealthiest states in the country, yet fails to provide adequate support for those who cannot access or afford health coverage. Despite its high per-capita income, Virginia ranks 27rd nationwide in the number of uninsured.
- Virginia ranks 48th in per-capita Medicaid expenditures, with some of the most restrictive eligibility standards for both Medicaid and FAMIS, which provides health insurance for children and pregnant women.
- Virginia ranks 44th in Medicaid income eligibility for parents and 43rd in Medicaid eligibility for children. A working parent in a three-person household must earn less than $7,000-$10,000 (depending on their locality) a year to be eligible for coverage through Medicaid in Virginia.
- As many as 10 working-age Virginians die each week because they lack health insurance — most from diseases that could have been treated easily if caught early.
Some legislators say they don’t often hear from their constituents about expanding health coverage. People of faith must change that. Here’s what you can do:
- Write individual letters to your Delegate and your Senator urging them to support closing the health insurance coverage gap. Visit http://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov to find the names of your Delegate and Senator.
- Make an appointment to visit your legislators and share your concerns about expanding heathcare coverage for Virginia.
- Attend any town hall meetings your legislators organize and ask questions about what the Delegate or Senator is doing to make sure that all Virginians have health insurance.
- Work with members of your local government (city or county) to pass a resolution calling on the General Assembly to close the coverage gap.
- 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/ healthcare-expansion-toolkit/ 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.
- Invite a speaker from the Virginia Interfaith Center or Virginia Consumer Voices for Healthcare to speak to your congregation or adult group.
You can download a free Faith Outreach Toolkit at www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org/ healthcare-expansion-toolkit/ for all the information and resources you need to take action. For more information, contact Karen@vaconsumervoices.org.
Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, 1716 E. Franklin Street, Richmond, VA 23223 www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org 804-643-2474