Legislators, policy experts, and health care representatives will take questions from the public on the proposal to expand Virginia’s Medicaid program. The community forum — sponsored by AARP Virginia, the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, and the Healthcare for All Virginians coalition — will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4, at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 8706 Quaker Lane, Bon Air.
The Virginia General Assembly will return to Richmond in special session on April 11, and lawmakers have the chance to expand health care coverage to nearly 400,000 Virginians. This community forum will discuss the impact closing the health insurance coverage gap will have on Virginia families and the state budget.
The purpose of the forum is to hold a bi-partisan public discussion on the effort to close the health insurance coverage gap by expanding Medicaid in Virginia, how it impacts the two year state budget, and what this all means for Virginians and local communities.
The public will be able to submit questions to the moderator, who will lead the discussion among our panel of General Assembly members, health care policy experts, and representatives from the health care industry.
AARP Virginia State Director Jim Dau and Rev. Jeanne Pupke, pastor of the First Unitarian Universalist Church will moderate the Richmond forum. Panelists will include: Delegate Christopher Peace, R-Mechanicsville; Delegate Dawn Adams, D-Chesterfield (invited); Jill Hanken, Director of the Center for Healthy Communities of the Virginia Poverty Law Center; and, a representative of the health care industry.
The organizations are sponsoring community forums across the state. Other forums include: Virginia Beach on April 4, Fredericksburg on April 9, and the Lynchburg area on April 19. A forum was held in Williamsburg on March 21. Learn more about the forums on the AARP Virginia website.
About AARP
AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 38 million members and offices in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and advocate for what matters most to families with a focus on health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation’s largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.
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