We are at a critical point in Virginia regarding Medicaid Extension, and the legislature is divided. We need EACH OF YOU to email your legislators to help them understand the benefits of extending Medicaid to the 400,000 very low-income Virginians who would be eligible for this extension. This week is our last opportunity to influence the House and Senate budgets that are being developed; they will be voting on their budgets this Sunday, February 3.

Many of those who would be covered are low-income parents. Currently, only parents earning less than 30% of the poverty line (less than $10,000/year for a family of 4) qualify for Medicaid. Yet, research shows that parents who are insured are more likely to enroll their children in insurance and access health care. Extending Medicaid to these parents means healthier families!

In addition, Virginia stands to gain quite a bit economically from approving this extension: Over a ten year period, Virginia would receive over $20 billion in federal funding while spending under $150 million in state funds.

• The cost to Virginia will be offset by savings in state‐funded health programs and state employee health insurance.
• The federal funding will support 30,000 jobs which will generate income taxes and sales taxes, helping pay for Virginia’s share of costs.
• Healthier people are able to work more than those with chronic, untreated medical conditions.

 

Finally, if Virginia doesn’t extend Medicaid, our federal tax dollars will go to insure people in other states which choose to extend Medicaid. Let’s keep our tax dollars in Virginia to help our fellow citizens.

Please email your legislators TODAY to let them know how important it is to their constituents to extend Medicaid!

---