FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Isaac Sarver
evp@vayd.org
(540) 616-8393
VIRGINIA YOUNG DEMOCRATS STAND WITH
VIRGINIA’S WORKING FAMILIES ON INSURANCE FUNDING
Gov. McDonnell refuses to lobby on behalf of uninsured Virginia children
Despite the fact that millions of Virginia workers have been paying into a Medicaid system designed to help children and the disabled receive health insurance, Gov. Bob McDonnell will not lobby on Virginia’s behalf to extend Medicaid reimbursements or increase the number of children eligible for FAMIS. Despite signing a letter in February urging the federal government to extend these benefits, McDonnell is now putting politics before Virginia’s hospitals and patients.
“Virginia’s families deserve better than political word games,” said Adam Sharp, VAYD Family Caucus Chair. “They deserve a Governor dedicated to helping them get by and stay healthy in these difficult economic times, and a Governor who understands that a ‘jobs agenda is about keeping jobs as much as it is creating them.”
According to the non-partisan Commonwealth Institute, about one million Virginians do not have health insurance. Many of those Virginians are children. A Commonwealth Institute study also predicts that over 12,000 Virginians will lose jobs in the health care sector without these funds.
Nonetheless, the Washington Post reports that McDonnell declined to refer to the reductions in FMAP and other monies as cuts. "It's not a cut, it's just things that won't be funded,'' he said.
"To say that this wouldn't be a cut is ludicrous," VAYD Political Director Antonio Elias said. "Tell the struggling mother that losing her family's Medicaid coverage isn't a cut. Tell the nurses and health professionals who will be laid off from hospitals that reducing Medicaid reimbursement rates isn't a cut."
About VAYD:
The Virginia Young Democrats is a statewide organization for Democrats under the age of 36. With 51 chapters and 10,000 members, the Virginia Young Democrats are the premiere volunteer organization for Democrats in the commonwealth. Visit vayd.org to learn more about the organization and to contribute to thousands of young Virginians seeking to make Virginia a more equitable place.
