What: Media conference with speakers from PATHS, Virginia Organizing, and community leaders
When: Friday, March 23 at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Piedmont Access to Health Services (PATHS), 705 Main St., Danville, VA 24541
Health Care Advocates Host “ACA: Here to Stay” Media Conference as Congress Risks Shutdown
Danville, Va. – Health care providers and community leaders will hold a media conference on March 23, the eighth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, at 9:30 a.m. at Piedmont Access to Health Services (705 Main St., Danville, VA 24541). Speakers will call on U.S. Representative Tom Garrett to end his repeated attempts to repeal the ACA and state Senator Bill Stanley to support Medicaid expansion during the General Assembly’s special session. This “ACA: Here to Stay!” event is part of a national day of action held to commemorate the ACA’s continued successes and demand an end to efforts to repeal, dismantle, and sabotage the law that provides health coverage to over 20 million Americans.
This year, the ACA anniversary coincides with a critical Congressional deadline to renew government funding through a $1.2 billion FY2018 spending package. The package includes some health care funding but omits critical market stabilization measures to address rising premiums caused by repeated Congressional efforts to repeal the ACA and by President Trump’s administrative plans to dismantle the law piece by piece.
Despite these attempts, the past year has made one thing certain: Medicaid expansion is here to stay. Speakers will highlight the benefits of Medicaid expansion and present a clear case to our representatives in the General Assembly—especially state Senator Bill Stanley and Delegate Les Adams—that the time has come to expand Medicaid in Virginia.
Featured speakers include PATHS CEO Kay Crane and Marty Jackson, a Danville resident and member of Virginia Organizing’s State Governing Board.
“During the eight years of the ACA, PATHS was able to drop our uninsured rate from 40 percent to 22 percent,” said Crane. “Because of the uncertainty of the future of the ACA, PATHS began to see the uninsured rate go up to 29% in 2017. That is why it is critical Virginia expand Medicaid. PATHS currently has about 3500 patients who would qualify for Medicaid under expansion. This expansion would also reduce the cost of health care for everyone as the cost of covering the uninsured has an economic impact on PATHS and the communities we serve.”
“Most of the people I know don’t have insurance,” said Jackson. “They need Medicaid to take care of themselves and get the medical treatment they need. Senator Stanley’s opposition to expansion shows a lack of concern for the citizens of Virginia.”
To interview a spokesperson about this event, contact Nik Belanger at 434-709-4953 or nik.belanger@virginia-
