Sen. Hashmi joins SAARA and Protect Our Care in Highlighting How Medicaid Cuts Would Set Virginia Back in Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment
Rep. Austin Scott stated that Congress plans to cut funding for expansion specifically, which would automatically disenroll more than 629,000 Virginians from their health care
New report shows more than 36,000 Virginians, including more than 25,000 in the expansion population, are at risk of losing medication treatment for opioid use disorders if Medicaid is slashed
RICHMOND, Va. — On Wed. April 23 at 10:30 a.m., Chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee Ghazala Hashmi will join SAARA of Virginia and Protect Our Care in discussing the impact that proposed cuts to Medicaid – including the potential automatic disenrollment of more than 629,000 Virginians in the expansion population – would have on behavioral health, including treatment for substance use disorders.
Congress is currently advancing a budget framework that would require up to $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid in order to fund proposed tax breaks that would disproportionately benefit the ultra-wealthy. Republican Congressman Austin Scott yesterday previewed his colleagues’ plan to target expansion specifically. He stated, “the federal government is paying 90% of the Medicaid expansion. What we have talked about is moving that 90% level of the expansion back towards [50 to approximately 80%].
Because Virginia is a trigger state, everyone enrolled in Medicaid through expansion will automatically lose their health care if Congress cuts Medicaid expansion by even 1%.
A new report from the Joint Economic Committee-Minority found that 36,286 Virginians on Medicaid are receiving medication treatment for opioid use disorder, which is considered the gold standard for treatment. Medicines such as methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone provide relief from withdrawal symptoms and allow the body to function normally without the use of illicit opioids. Of that number, 25,467 Virginians are in the expansion population and would automatically lose access to treatment if expansion funding is cut.
WHO:
Chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee Ghazala Hashmi
Victor McKenzie, Executive Director of SAARA of Virginia
Freddy Mejia, Policy Director for The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis
Jessi Ross of Petersburg, Peer Recovery Specialist and Medicaid storyteller
Katie Baker, Virginia State Director for Protect Our Care
WHAT: Press conference highlighting the devastating impact that proposed cuts to Medicaid would have on behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment
WHEN: Wed. April 23 at 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: Senate Briefing Room. Fourth Floor. Virginia General Assembly Building, 201 N 9th St, Richmond, VA 23219 (public entrance is on Broad Street).