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What's Happening in Virginia?
Cuts, Closures, and Copays: How the Big Bill Hurts Virginia
If you’ve ever sat in a clinic waiting room with your fingers crossed that your Medicaid card would actually work, or if you’ve juggled rides and paperwork to help your mom, your kid, or a neighbor get the care they need, you already know this: Medicaid is more than a program. It’s a lifeline.
In Virginia, it keeps 1.5 million people afloat, working moms, aging parents, kids with asthma, folks who’ve spent their whole lives giving back but now need a little help. It’s what keeps someone from putting off care they can’t afford, and what makes the difference between life and loss when an emergency hits.
But now, that safety net is being unraveled. Remember that federal budget bill they were calling “big and beautiful”? Turns out it cuts deep into the funding that helps keep Virginia’s Medicaid system running, an astounding $2.3 billion slashed from hospital support. That’s entire hospital wings, departments, even buildings shutting down, especially in rural towns where healthcare options are already few and far between.
And that’s just the beginning.
We’re already seeing what’s ahead. In places like Danville and Martinsville, where about one in three residents rely on Medicaid, hospitals are hanging by a thread. What happens to that mom in labor who now has to drive two hours just to find a delivery room? Or the family whose toddler spikes a fever at 2 a.m. and finds the closest ER boarded up?
And that’s why we have to pay attention. Because the law affects us, our communities and the people we love.
Give Me Hope!
We can, and must continue to put pressure on our elected officials (the louder the better!) and keep our communities aware of what’s happening, who’s at fault and how we can work together as a community to support our vulnerable neighbors.
- Start by spreading the word. Talk about it. Share this post. Make it real for the people around you.
- Then, call your state legislators and local officials. Ask them what they’re doing to protect Virginia families. Push for solutions including more state funding, simpler paperwork, expanded access. I know many of you have been religiously calling your lawmakers and it works. Especially at a local level where 10 calls from constituents turns into a 5 alarm fire for your local leadership
- But also: let’s take care of each other. If someone in your community loses coverage, can you help them with rides to the clinic? Can you rally around a neighbor who needs a prescription filled? Can you donate to a mutual aid fund that helps cover co-pays?
- This is about policy, but it’s also about people. About neighbors. About us. Let’s look to each other for solutions because when our systems start breaking down, we need to show up for each other. I know we can do this because of all of you, so let’s get to work
Find out how you can help
The Numbers:
- Statewide impact. The VHHA estimates that the new law will cost Virginia hospitals roughly US$2 billion each year, jeopardizing many facilities. The provider?tax reduction alone removes US$2.3 billion in annual Medicaid payments. Because hospitals use commercial?payer margins to subsidize Medicaid losses, further cuts could prompt service reductions or closures.
- Hospitals at risk of closure:
- Southampton Memorial (Franklin)
- Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center (Emporia)
- Community Memorial Hospital (South Hill)
- Carilion Tazewell Community Hospital (Tazewell)
- Rappahannock General Hospital (Kilmarnock)
- Lee County Community Hospital (Pennington Gap)
- In Virginia, roughly 323,000 residents could lose health insurance through Medicaid or subsidized ACA plans. Enhanced ACA premium tax credits are also set to expire, risking another 5.1 million people nationwide.
- Expansion population most at risk. The state Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) reports that around 450,000 adults are enrolled in Virginia’s Medicaid expansion, including 42,000 in Southwest Virginia. A local news report explained that Congressman Morgan Griffith’s own bill would impose similar 80?hour work requirements on this group, ostensibly to help people “get back on their feet”. Many expansion enrollees are working low?wage jobs, between jobs or caregivers, and may struggle to meet the hours or documentation requirements.
- Potential loss of coverage due to work reporting. The Commonwealth Institute projects that 187,000 Virginia adults, about 32 % of expansion enrollees, could lose coverage because of missing paperwork or not meeting the 80?hour requirement. Because the law subjects most adults to reporting regardless of whether they already work, many people could be cut off even though they hold jobs. The non?partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that work requirements will reduce Medicaid spending by US$207 billion over ten years and leave 10 million more people uninsured.
- Cost?sharing may deter low?income families from seeking care. Copays of up to US$35 per visit could result in hundreds of dollars in out?of?pocket expenses per family each year. For families living paycheck?to?paycheck, these costs may discourage doctor visits, preventive care and prescription refills.
Sources:
- vakids.org
- yahoo.com
- thecommonwealthinstitute.org
- wtvr.com
- cardinalnews.org
- Virginia’s DMV data as of July 2024
History of Joy in Political Movements
The US has been no stranger to setbacks and adaptations but it’s always the joy, resilience and togetherness that has fueled change. All progressive movements have shared the same story of people finding each other, dancing in the streets after wins, feeding each other in hard times, and pushing forward with creativity and hope.
Let’s take a look back at some well known and not so well known movements born out of the necessity of the moment.
Abolition and the Underground Railroad (1800s)
People like Harriet Tubman, William Still, and Sojourner Truth built networks of trust, food, shelter, and music. Singing songs with double meanings, quilting maps into blankets, and holding worship circles were all acts of joy and resistance. Communities celebrated every successful escape. Churches, homes, and barns turned into beacons of safety and joy was survival.
Labor Movement and Bread & Roses (Early 1900s)
The 1912 Lawrence textile strike in Massachusetts was led by immigrant women who chanted not just for “bread,” but “roses too”, demanding dignity alongside wages. Workers spoke dozens of languages, but united through music, banners, and street parades. Children were sent to be cared for by other families across the country which created bonds between movements. Joy wasn’t a side effect, it was a tactic and singing on picket lines reminded everyone what they were fighting for.
The LGBTQ+ Rights Movement (1960s–Now)
Stonewall was a rebellion filled with dance, glitter, and righteous fury. ACT UP responded to AIDS with anger and art, staging die-ins and kissing in public to demand visibility and healthcare. Pride was born not from tolerance but from radical joy. Drag brunches, chosen families, ballroom culture, and joyfully defiant parades turned survival into celebration.
All of these movements leaned into collective care. After protests, there were healing circles. After arrests, there were bail fund bingos and community cookouts. Black Lives Matter protests included dance parties, healing tents, and teach-ins led by kids. In the wake of COVID, mutual aid groups brought groceries, diapers, and joy to porches. These ecosystems of love weren’t only about pushing against oppression but included pulling each other in. This type of inclusivity in movements leads to true care communities. Activism that create joy and togetherness lasts long after the protests, picket lines and parades and they fuel change that inspires the next generation to keep moving forward.
It’s rough out there. Let’s continue to be there for each other as we navigate through the chaos and harm being done to our communities. There is always joy to be found. Our country can persevere despite the assault on the people because of the work we’re all doing and because we’ve learned from those who paved the way.
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