Posts by Sarah Bedard Holland
2018 Year in Review
I’ve been making a list (and checking it twice!) of all the good that happened in 2018 to improve health for Virginians! Between expanding Medicaid eligibility to enable 400,000 low-income Virginians to access coverage to the largest Virginia Oral Health Summit yet, 2018 was a big year. As all of us begin to think about…
Read MoreUnderstanding Billing and Benefits for Medallion and CCC+
This fall is an exciting time in Virginia as hundreds of thousands of new Virginians enroll in Medicaid health plans. As you know, nearly 400,000 Virginia adults now have access to medical coverage, thanks to Medicaid expansion. What you may not know, however, is that several Medicaid health plans (known as managed care organizations or “MCOs”)…
Read MoreWhy the Census Matters for Health Care
In 2020 the federal government will count the roughly 330 million people in the United States (US) through the census, a tally that is mandated by the Constitution. The census occurs every ten years and requires every resident in the US to complete forms that detail household size, income, and other demographic details. The data…
Read MoreHow Proposed Changes to Public Charge Will Affect Health Utilization
Earlier this year, the Trump administration released a draft of planned policy changes that would expand the criteria used to consider a person a potential “public charge.” The proposed changes are already causing some Virginia immigrants to forgo using public health programs for fear this may jeopardize their immigration status. Given the impact on health…
Read MoreMaking Medicaid Expansion a Reality in Virginia
It is a busy and rewarding start to the summer across the Commonwealth. A few weeks ago, the Virginia legislature voted to expand Medicaid eligibility, which means, by January 1, nearly 400,000 low-income Virginians will be able to access affordable health care coverage with a very limited, extraction-only dental benefit. Medicaid expansion is a huge…
Read MoreVirginia Will Expand Medicaid to 300,000 Virginians
On May 30, Virginia legislature voted to expand Medicaid coverage eligibility to more than 300,000 Virginians by raising the eligible income threshold to just over $16,000 for an individual and $28,000 for parents in a family of three. Hundreds of thousands of Virginians will now have access to affordable health and mental health services, and…
Read MoreMedicaid Expansion Deliberations Extend to Next Week
When the Senate met yesterday there were a series of somewhat dramatic floor speeches, both pro and con Medicaid Expansion, but there was no vote on the proposed budget compromise which would expand the states Medicaid program to nearly 400,00 Virginians. Senate Republican leaders used a procedural motion to delay budget consideration by the Senate…
Read MoreVirginia Legislators Approach Budget Compromise to Expand Medicaid
House Appropriations Committee Chair Delegate Chris Jones and Senate Finance Committee Co-chairman Senator Emmett Hanger agreed late Monday on a budget compromise that would expand the state's Medicaid program to nearly 400,000 Virginians. The two leaders arrived on budget amendments that demonstrate a commitment to bipartisan legislation and a compromise that both the House and Senate…
Read MoreMedicaid Expansion, the Budget, and a Special Session
Virginia's legislature adjourned on March 11, 2018, without a budget. The House and Republican members of the Senate remain deeply divided on the issue of Medicaid expansion; the House budget included federal dollars to expand Medicaid to nearly 300,000 low income Virginians, and the Senate budget did not. The Governor has called for a special…
Read MoreThe American Health Care Act Passes the House – What Happens Next?
Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 217 to 213 to pass the American Health Care Act (AHCA). All Democratic Representatives and twenty Republicans opposed the bill; northern Virginia Representative Barbara Comstock was the only Virginia Republican to vote “no.” What does the bill do? A few highlights: * Repeals Taxes. Eliminates almost $900 billion in…
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