Showing posts with label Virginia Medicaid expansion. Show all posts

03 November 2015

McAuliffe, state and county leaders in Va. await election results 3NOV15

TODAY was, still is election day in Virginia (polls were open from 0600 to 1900, 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM) as well as other states, cities and electoral districts across the country. Pathetically, voter turn out will be low because this is an "off year" election and Americans are much more comfortable bitching about the problems and issues that need to be addressed and criticizing politicians and political parties for not getting anything done than taking the time to check out the candidates and voting. These people are as much to blame for the issues and problems not being resolved as the politicians in power because they allow these same politicians to remain in office. This from the +Washington Post outlines many of the races across Virginia today. And FYI, Yes, I did vote today (I was number 279 at my voting location and I went after lunch!), I haven't missed voting since I became old enough to vote in 1976!

McAuliffe, state and county leaders in Va. await election results

By Jenna Portnoy and Laura Vozzella November 3 at 5:14 PM

Virginia voters went to the polls on Tuesday in state Senate elections that will determine whether Gov. Terry McAuliffe has any legislative leverage or political momentum heading into 2016, when he hopes to deliver Virginia for his friend and ally Hillary Rodham Clinton.
All 140 seats in the General Assembly were on the ballot, but all eyes were on a handful of races that will decide if Republicans hold onto the closely divided state Senate.
Because Republicans dominate the House, flipping the Senate is the term-limited governor’s only hope for building a legislative legacy in his remaining two years.
Even if Democrats win the Senate, McAuliffe (D) is limited in what he can accomplish through the General Assembly. House Republicans remain fiercely opposed to his top priorities, such as tightening restrictions on guns and expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The legislature is also constrained. Even if Republicans hold onto both chambers, they will not have a supermajority in the Senate to override McAuliffe’s vetoes.

[McAuliffe goes all-out in largely symbolic battle for state Senate]

Voters also chose local leaders in Fairfax, Prince William and Arlington counties and the city of Alexandria, where longtime incumbent William D. Euille is trying to salvage his mayoralty, mounting a write-in campaign after losing the Democratic primary. In Prince William County, two other well-known veterans are facing vigorous challengers. And in Fairfax and Arlington, existing governing coalitions will be impacted by the outcomes of several contests for open or closely contested board seats.

Senate races

A year before the presidential election, national donors and outside groups seized on Virginia’s state Senate races, their intensity a reflection of the importance that both Democrats and Republicans place on gaining momentum in a crucial swing state.
The two races drawing the most attention include the Prince William County district in which Democrat Jeremy McPike and Republican Hal Parrish are vying to succeed retiring Sen. Charles J. Colgan (D-Prince William).
McAuliffe himself has shown intense interest in the race, campaigning with McPike Tuesday at a home in Manassas Park as part of a last-minute Democratic push.
“We need this seat,” the governor told McPike’s volunteers, adding that the balmy autumn temperatures and cloudless sky were signs “God is with us.”
“We are going to shock everybody.”

[This group thinks cheap drinks will get young adults to vote]

Parrish, the Manassas mayor, opposes Medicaid expansion, has an A-minus rating from the National Rifle Association and cast the tie-breaking vote allowing restrictions on Manassas abortion clinics. McPike, who works for the city of Alexandria, favors Medicaid expansion, gun control and abortion rights.
Shari Wahlert, 54, a federal worker, said she was backing Parrish even though she leans Democratic, because she prefers split government. “It’s probably my naive view of the world that we all work together when it comes down to it,” Wahlert said.
But Bret Roseberry, 59, said he voted for McPike to protect access to women’s health care and reduce gun violence. “This is an extremely pro-gun area,” said Roseberry, an airport operations manager. “They want no restrictions.”
Beyond the boundaries of the senate race, voter turnout in Prince William this morning was sparse. Fewer than 200 voters had shown up at Henderson Elementary in Dumfries by 9:30 a.m., many of them bombarded with fliers from Democratic senate candidate Scott Surovell, who is running against Republican Jerry Foreman. The seat is being vacated by retiring Sen. Linda T. “Toddy” Puller (D-Fairfax).
In the Richmond area, Republican Glen Sturtevant, a school board member, and Democrat Dan Gecker, a Chesterfield County supervisor, are running to replace Sen. John C. Watkins (Powhatan), who is retiring.

[Guns and tolls playing central role in Va. state races]

The August shootings of two journalists in southwest Virginia turned gun control into a key issue in the races, as McAuliffe pushed for tighter restrictions on firearms purchases, with the support of Andy Parker, the father of one of the victims.
At one point during the race, state Sen. William M. Stanley (R-Franklin) complained that Parker had threatened him with angry messages concerning the senator’s opposition to gun control. Parker then issued an apology through the gun control lobbying group organized by former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Bloomberg’s organization pumped more than $2.3 million into McPike and Gecker’s campaigns, an effort that Republicans predicted would spur a backlash at the polls.

[McAuliffe: ‘Folks, I’m pretty jacked up!’]

In Loudoun County, Democrat Jill McCabe, a pediatric emergency-room doctor, is challenging Sen. Richard H. Black, a former Marine combat pilot and lawyer who is among the Assembly’s most conservative members
Democrats concede that unseating Black is as difficult as their quest to quest to oust incumbent Republican Frank W. Wagner in Virginia Beach. Wagner is facing Democrat Gary McCollum.
Wagner, the former owner of a ship repair company, seemed vulnerable after reports that he took gifts from special interests and sponsored legislation friendly to Dominion Virginia Power.
But McCollum was stung by revelations that he misrepresented his military record. Republicans accused the retired Cox communications executive of stolen valor, a potentially damaging attack in a district adjacent to the world’s largest naval base.
Nearby, Sen. Lynwood W. Lewis Jr. (D-Accomack) is defending a seat he won by just 11 votes last year in a special election. His challenger is Republican Richard H. Ottinger.
In southwest Virginia, Sen. John S. Edwards (D-Roanoke) is in a three-way race with Republican Nancy Dye and Democrat-turned-independent Don Caldwell.

House races

The toll road issue is also being used in the House to hammer Del. Kathleen Murphy (D-Fairfax) and Democratic state delegate candidates John Bell and Jennifer Boysko.
Murphy faces a rematch against Craig Parisot, the Republican she narrowly defeated in a special election last year. Bell and Republican Chuong Nguyen are vying for the Loudoun seat held by Del. David I. Ramadan, who is not seeking reelection. B
Boysko is running against Republican businessman Danny Vargas for the seat of Del. Thomas Davis Rust (R-Fairfax).

Alexandria

At the Charles Houston Recreation center on Tuesday morning, Euille’s campaign volunteersoffered to stamp the hands of voters with the mayor’s name so they could spell it correctly in the write-in line on the ballot.
Euille is counting on the African American and business communities to propel him to victory over Allison Silberberg, the Democratic nominee, who is depending on her party’s support, along with voters’ weariness with development.
“This will be a close vote,” said Euille, who spent the campaign’s last hours knocking on doors “I feel very good and am inspired by the outpouring of support.”
Lobbyist Sarah Pierce said she was voting to keep in him office because she is “looking for consistency and continuity of leadership.”

Many voters at the precinct said they see Euille’s efforts to bring projects as a means of expanding the tax base and staving off possible property tax increases as the city grows.
But in Silberberg’s neighborhood of large colonials and detached brick homes a few miles away from Old Town, some voters said they were worried about Euille’s ties to developers and his enthusiasm for building.
“I’m a fan of slowing down development a bit...it’s out of control,” said accountant Ben Schabert, an eight-year resident. “The city stands to lose some of its identity.”

Fairfax County board

In Fairfax County, Virginia’s largest, board of supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova (D) is favored to win another term, and is warning that the county faces stark choices about cutting services or raising revenue as it tries to rebound from cuts to public schools, libraries and other services.
In the Dranesville District, Republican Jennifer Chronis, an IBM executive, is mounting an aggressive challenge against incumbent Supervisor John W. Foust (D). Chuck and Sheila Mudd cast their ballots for Foust, and donated money to his campaign, because they’ve been impressed by his responsiveness to constituent needs during two terms as supervisor.
“Foust has been a very hard worker,” Chuck Mudd said after voting at Langley High School. “He really gets involved.”
David Reed, 70, said he voted for Chronis. “I read a little about her and she sounds really smart,” he said.
Nell Koopman, whose family recently moved to the area from Alabama, also voted for Chronis, but said she was more concerned about seeing a $350 million school bind referendum pass. “We have three kids at this school,” Koopman said, as a construction crew worked to complete a new building on campus. “We need more space.”
In other Fairfax races, the open Sully District seat drew two candidates, Democrat Kathy Smith who pledged to steer state transportation dollars to her western Fairfax district, and Republican John Guevara, who favors more public-private partnerships.
Supervisor John C. Cook (R) in the Braddock District and Supervisor Penelope A. Gross (D) in the Mason District far outraised their challengers.

Prince William

In Prince William, incumbent Corey A. Stewart (R), chairman of the board of supervisors, is facing a challenge from Democrat Rick Smith, who is calling for improved public safety seven years after his wife and teenage son were killed.
Smith also is seeking to appeal to the county’s growing Latino population to draw a contrast with Stewart, who drew national attention with 2007 ordinance that required police to check the immigration status of anyone they arrest.
In Woodbridge, Ana Rodriguez cast her vote for Smith, saying it was time for change after years of Republican control on the board. She said she was turned off by the positions Stewart has taken on immigration issues.
“I have met good people that really deserve to have a chance,” she said.
Prince William voters also will decide whether to give Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul B. Ebert (D) a 13th term or replace him with County Supervisor Michael C. May (R).
“When you have been in office 47 years -- that’s almost as much as I’ve been alive -- it’s too long,” said teacher Annemarie Ciskanik , who cast her ballot for May.
For the chairman of the county board, though, Ciskanik said she went for the incumbent, because “he takes good care of our tax money.”
Manassas resident Mark Townsend, 39, decided to back May for commonwealth’s attorney. “This county is changing so much demographically and politically, and that’s a good thing,” he said. “Sometimes you need new blood to go along with all these changes.”

Arlington board

The stakes are also high in Arlington, where for the first time in more than 30 years, two seats are open on the governing board.
Two Democrats, Christian Dorsey and Katie Cristol, face two independents — Mike McMenamin, a former Republican candidate, and Audrey Clement, a former Green Party candidate.
Last year’s election of John Vihstadt, a Republican running as an independent, diluted 15 years of Democratic dominance, and continues to resonate.
“I think the county is somewhat in disarray,” said Diane Cancian after voting for Cristol and McMenamin at her Lee Highway polling place. “They are spending far too much money on the larger projects. We need to dial it back and get schools under control.”
Across the county at a polling place near the Pentagon City shopping center, Karen Feeley said she voted for McMenamin based on Arlington’s plans to expand affordable housing, which she opposes because a new multi-use development is going up near her own home. She said she felt as if she had few choices among the 4 candidates for County Board. “That was easy. It was like filling in a test at school,” she said.

Arelis Hernandez, Antonio Olivo, Fenit Nirappil, Patricia Sullivan and Rachel Weiner contributed to this report.

28 February 2014

House passes Medicaid expansion & House prepares to vote on Senate health care plan & the rust report 19&23&28FEB14

IN a typical tea-bagger anti government rant about Obamacare tom rust r delegate 86th district, in his rust report sent out 28FEB14 says " As an example according to the Human Resources Director of my engineering firm which self funds its insurance program, has electronic communications and enrollment capabilities, and outsources payroll our costs are therefore 'muted', but we are still paying $135,945 for 2013-2014 in taxes and fees to the federal government and not receiving any benefit." That pretty much sums up the the lack of compassion, the lack of morality and the greed that drives tom rust and his fellow gop tea-baggers. He is one of those pro lifers that is only pro life until birth, after that he would throw the child with his / her family to the wolves rather than provide health care, SNAP, and other support to those Virginians who need it. As a person of faith his rejection of the teachings of Christ, the Beatitudes, for the gospel of prosperity, the lust for increasing his own power and profits at the expense and of others is disturbing. He must be sleeping through the sermons at St Timothy's Episcopal Church. Here is some of the reporting on the health care debate in Richmond and delegate rust's report...

House passes Medicaid expansion

The House of Delegates and State Senate both voted Saturday to pass a state budget bill with language that will form a 10-person commission to review and examine health care reforms before allowing Virginia to proceed with full Medicaid expansion.
The vote in the House was 83-17 in favor of the bill. The Senate voted 31-8 to advance the legislation to Gov. Bob McDonnell.
The bill heading to the governor would authorize the expansion of the Medicaid program to 400,000 Virginians if specific reforms to the program are met. The legislation also establishes a special committee to certify whether the reforms have been put in place to allow the expansion, effective July 1, 2014.
“The budget language is a step in the right direction, but many of us would have liked a clearer statement that we intend to expand Medicaid immediately. Medicaid expansion will bring health care coverage to 400,000 low-income workers, veterans and children, create 30,000 jobs, and delaying enactment costs Virginia millions of dollars per day. The failure means that hard working Virginia taxpayers will subsidize health care coverage in neighboring states which have expanded Medicaid,” said House Democratic Leader David J. Toscano (D- Charlottesville).
“We have put Virginia on a clear path to expanding Medicaid. Isn’t it immoral to deprive 400,000 Virginians – our neighbors – of medical insurance? Isn’t it immoral to deprive 30,000 Virginians – our neighbors — of good-paying jobs? Isn’t it immoral to send the hard-earned money of tax-paying Virginians, that should be coming here, to other states? Today, we have made a wise choice and done the right thing,” State Sen. Janet D. Howell (D-Fairfax) said.
http://augustafreepress.com/house-passes-medicaid-expansion/

House prepares to vote on Senate health care plan

Richmond Times-Dispatch

Del. Scott Garrett, R-Lynchburg, a physician, speaks against Medicaid expansion during the floor session of the House of Delegates on Wednesday. Garrett pulled dollar bills out of three different pockets to illustrate that all tax revenue was earned by someone, and putting it into Medicaid expansion is not a good idea. “That is my money … that I earned,” Garrett said.

Posted: Wednesday, February 19, 2014 10:45 pm

By Olympia Meola and Markus Schmidt | Richmond Times-Dispatch

House Republicans have filed a budget amendment mirroring the state Senate’s approach to extending health care coverage, setting the stage today for a robust debate and recorded vote on the proposal.
Today the House of Delegates and the Senate vote on their versions of the state’s two-year spending plan.
“We have stated all along that our caucus is opposed to Medicaid expansion. We want reforms first,” Del. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, told reporters Wednesday. “This will certainly demonstrate as to where the House is vis-a-vis Medicaid expansion.”
House Majority Leader Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights, said lawmakers are down to “crunch time” as both chambers get ready to back their respective versions of the budget.
A group of conferees — senior negotiators from the two chambers — will begin meeting to hammer out differences between the plans. The General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn March 8.
A sharp difference between the two plans is Medicaid expansion under the federal health care law.
“I think it’s very instructive that we get a definitive read right now with their language — there’s no other language before us — where we are,” Cox said.
The GOP-dominated House opposes expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. In its budget, it chose instead to reimburse hospitals for money removed in former Gov. Bob McDonnell’s proposed budget and cuts in reimbursement under new federal health care regulations.
The Democratic-controlled Senate provides more money to hospitals. It also proposes “Marketplace Virginia,” a private insurance plan that would serve the same population that would be covered by Medicaid expansion. It also would replace the federal health insurance marketplace that began operating Jan. 1.
“For business and human reasons, we must take action to close the coverage gap to extend access to affordable health care to thousands of uninsured Virginians and ensure that our federal tax dollars are used in the state,” said House Minority Leader David Toscano, D-Charlottesville.
“I am glad we will have the opportunity to debate one plan to do this on the floor. While there are other plans that may also work, this plan will use market based approaches to close the coverage gap.”
Earlier Wednesday, members of a coalition of Medicaid expansion advocates again urged lawmakers to make health insurance available to potentially 400,000 uninsured Virginians.
As of Tuesday, Virginia has forfeited $250 million in federal funding by refusing to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, said Jill Hanken of Healthcare for All Virginians.
“That’s a troubling milestone. That’s a lot of money that’s been paid by a lot of companies and individual Virginians, but it’s not being used in Virginia,” Hanken said in a news conference at the state Capitol.
“It’s bad enough to lose such a large amount of money, but what troubles us the most is the loss of medical care that the money could have provided for so many uninsured Virginians,” she said.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe said of the reported $250 million: “Today’s announcement is the latest evidence that Virginia cannot afford to let partisan politics prevent us from closing the coverage gap.”
House Republicans maintain that Virginia cannot count on Washington living up to its promised contributions.
“Virginia is one of the nation’s top recipients of federal dollars, receiving well over $125 billion in federal aid, grants, contracts and spending,” said Matthew Moran, a spokesman for House Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford County. “That’s nearly double what Virginians paid in federal taxes in 2012. In his remarks to the joint assembly last month, Governor McAuliffe said Virginia was overly dependent on federal spending.
“The House has been very clear that we will not bet the fiscal future of the commonwealth on empty promises and borrowed money from Washington,” Moran said.
At the news conference, Hanken also criticized the budget proposed Sunday by the Republican-dominated House of Delegates. It opposes Medicaid expansion, but it is prepared to restore some cuts made in then-Gov. Bob McDonnell’s introduced budget and provides an additional $3 million a year to free clinics and community health centers.
“The thing about that, $3 million a year compared to $5 million per day through expanding coverage for individuals, that is less than a drop in the bucket,” Hanken said.
The Senate’s “Marketplace Virginia” plan “offers a creative way to cover insurance and keep tax dollars in the commonwealth,” Hanken said.
Dr. Richard Szucs, a Richmond radiologist, said that disease and illness does not distinguish between people who have health insurance and those who don’t.
“As it stands today, Virginia has a basic disparity. People with insurance have a way to pay for diagnosis and treatment that they need. Individuals without coverage must often delay their care or simply do without it,” Szucs said.
http://www.roanoke.com/news/house-prepares-to-vote-on-senate-health-care-plan/article_6e06bafc-99e1-11e3-b1fe-0017a43b2370.html

More about General Assembly

ARTICLE: Seven Virginia senators protest resolution honoring Byrd
ARTICLE: General Assembly notes: McAuliffe bill helps Bristol project
ARTICLE: Bill named for Pulaski County trooper defeated
ARTICLE: House passes controversial bill on religious speech in schools
ARTICLE: House panel scuttles bill to boost anti-porn unit

More about Politics

ARTICLE: Another notice of appeal filed after gay marriage ruling
ARTICLE: House passes controversial bill on religious speech in schools
ARTICLE: House panel scuttles bill to boost anti-porn unit
ARTICLE: House passes Senate’s ethics overhaul bill
ARTICLE: Senate plan could improve services for mental health

More about Medicaid

ARTICLE: Chamber of commerce groups present health plan
HEALTH CARE 0319
Rising costs
ARTICLE: Senate Finance Committee hears analysis about Medicaid
Medicaid Expansion (From the rust report 28FEB14)
One of the most controversial issues the General Assembly is dealing with this session is Medicaid expansion. You have read much about it! As you know, Medicaid is a program funded by the U.S. federal and state governments that pays the medical expenses of people who are in certain age and income brackets and therefore unable to pay some or all of their own medical expenses. The question now is whether or not to expand Medicaid.

The Problem:
- 1 million Virginians are uninsured (1 in 8 residents) with 359,000 of those earning an income under 138% of poverty, including 47,000 veterans and their families.
- Since 2004, Virginia has spent more than $1.2 billion subsidizing the cost of indigent care at Virginia hospitals. The cost in 2013 was $137 million and it is increasing every year.
- The cost of caring for the uninsured is reflected in a 'hidden' tax paid by Virginia health insurance policyholders - that is you and me! It is estimated to be between 2 percent and 10 percent of our insurance premiums.
- Virginia tax payers and businesses are sending money to Washington for health care for low income Virginians for which we receive no funds back. Between FY2015-FY2022 Virginians will send $13.6 billion and receive nothing in return.
- The cost of waiting
The Solution - Marketplace Virginia: In its simplest form, Virginia would take the federal money, set up a state exchange (we now have a federal exchange) and allow individuals to purchase healthcare coverage through a private insurance network utilizing the federal funds. This would be a Managed Care Program.

The Benefits:
- Virginia would recapture about $1.7 billion each year we are currently sending to Washington which could be used for:
Recipients of health care insurance:
- Promotes personal responsibility and accountability for health care services
- Requires cost sharing up to 5% of income
- Includes incentives for job search and work activities.
The Risk:
- The federal government reneges on the financial commitment they have made. If that occurs, Virginia will discontinue the program as specified in the legislation.
I am not happy with the Affordable Care Act, "Obamacare", and there are innumerable problems with it including the fact that it cuts into everyone's bottom line by forcing businesses and individuals to pay more to cover the uninsured. As an example according to the Human Resources Director of my engineering firm which self funds its insurance program, has electronic communications and enrollment capabilities, and outsources payroll our costs are therefore 'muted', but we are still paying $135,945 for 2013-2014 in taxes and fees to the federal government and not receiving any benefit. Despite the problems, Obamacare is the law of the land and while numerous efforts to overturn it have been made by Congress, none have been successful. Now we need to find a way to make this work for the benefit of Virginians by finding a solution that protects Virginia taxpayers' hard-earned money and return those dollars flowing across the Potomac to Washington back to Virginia. After carefully and deliberately weighing the options and listening to passionate debates on the floor of the House, I believe Marketplace Virginia is a solution for the citizens of the 86th district and all Virginians. Is it perfect? No, but we simply cannot afford to continue to give the federal government any more of our money and get nothing in return.

As noted, this matter is very controversial but I would note Marketplace Virginia has broad support in the business community as evidenced by numerous Chambers of Commerce's support. In addition, health providers and the faith community have indicated their support. Finally, I would note the healthcare question is not concluded and I will surmise the debate will go on until the end of this budget cycle which is June 30, 2014.

NORTON META TAG

03 November 2015