On Tuesday, April 1st, the Virginia Senate Finance Committee held a meeting to hear testimony on closing the health care coverage gap for the more than 400,000 currently uninsured Virginians.

Secretary of Finance Ric Brown gave an overview of Governor McAuliffe’s proposed 2015-2016 biennial budget, and the committee then heard from invited guests that included business leaders, hospital representatives, police

View of a packed VA Senate Finance Committee hearing on health care, April 1, 2014.

officials, local government folks, and individual patients on their perspectives. They were all able to tell stories of how having access to health insurance and health care improves the lives of Virginia’s citizens and communities.

The Senate Finance committee then opened up the meeting to hear from the public on the issue. Voices’ Executive Director Margaret Nimmo Crowe was on hand to provide testimony on how closing the coverage gap is critical for children and families.

A quarter of all uninsured people in the Commonwealth are parents with children under the age of 18, and Margaret was able to share evidence with committee members that parents who have health insurance are more likely to ensure their children are also covered. Additionally, parents with health coverage who insure their children are more likely to seek health care for their kids when needed.

Margaret was also able to connect the dots for Finance committee members between closing the coverage gap and improving our mental health care system.

You can read her full testimony here.

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