Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

This issue seems to fit well here, between my comments on being a Christian who values all life and my thoughts on taxes and spending….

I served as Chair of MIRC, the Medicaid Innovation and Reform Commission, and we have made significant reforms to Virginia's program over the past six or more years. We then took those savings and reinvested them back into our healthcare system to assist more people and shore up our services. I remain committed to reforming our healthcare delivery system and ensuring the viability of a fiscally sound and productive healthcare system in Virginia.

We have made progress in closing the healthcare coverage gap by expanding Medicaid with a Virginia specific plan to provide a work requirement and "skin in the game" for those now eligible for services. Our action now allows many more of the working poor, many veterans, and some disabled citizens to get care through a primary care physician rather than showing up at an emergency room where the cost is the most expensive and is often passed on to those of us with healthcare insurance.

We have been able to redirect back here to Virginia over $2.5 Billion a year in taxes that Virginians are mandated to pay because of the Affordable Care Act. We have been able to address the tremendous unmet needs for funding and policy in the areas of mental health, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and substance abuse disorders by directing care and dollars where needed. The overall rate of growth in healthcare spending is unsustainable. We will continue to make reforms to address this otherwise, most of us will be unable to afford insurance in the future.

I was pleased to work alongside Senate and House colleagues of both parties to accomplish this improvement to our Medicaid program that will benefit hard working Virginians. I will always stand with anyone willing to make bold moves to address these needs because it impacts all of us, our budget, and my personal beliefs tell me it is the right thing to do.

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