McDonnell: State will not pursue its own health benefits exchange

Contributors

The old saw about PR is that if you have news that you need to get out, but really don’t want getting out, you do it on a Friday, the later in the day, the better. In that context, then, we have the news release from the McDonnell administration issued at 4:35 p.m. Friday reporting that Virginia will not be pursuing a state-based health benefits exchange for 2014.

Suffolk U.: Obama leads Romney by double digits

Chris Graham

President Barack Obama (47 percent) leads Republican Mitt Romney (37 percent) in a national general election match-up, with 7 percent saying they would vote for a third-party candidate and 7 percent undecided, according to a Suffolk University survey of likely general election voters of all parties. Obama led all GOP candidates: Romney by 10 points,…

Consumer groups comment on GA’s health exchange gamble

Contributors

On Wednesday the Senate special subcommittee on health insurance failed to recommend any health exchange bills despite previously acknowledging the irresponsibility of waiting and denying months of work from the governor’s hand-selected health reform panel. Subcommittee Chair Sen. Jeffrey McWaters moved to wait until after the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on the constitutionality of…

Medicaid incentives encourage healthy habits

Contributors

The Waynesboro Family YMCA is partnering with Virginia Premier Health Plan Inc. encouraging Medicaid recipients to adopt and maintain healthy living habits. A federal grant Program approved in the Affordable Care Act, under the Obama administration, promotes incentives for medicaid recipients who make an effort to control or lose weight, keep blood pressure and cholesterol…

Virginia Organizing calls on GA to move forward with health-benefits exchange

Contributors

Several pieces of legislation on the creation of a Virginia Health Benefits Exchange will be considered in this year’s General Assembly session. The statewide grassroots organization Virginia Organizing is asking legislators to move forward on the creation of a consumer-friendly Health Benefits Exchange and supports several Exchange bills including: SB 383 (McEachin), HB 357 (McClellan)…

House Dems announce support for health-insurance competition bill

Contributors

Today, House Democrats announced their support for legislation to set up a health insurance marketplace in Virginia. Delegates Patrick Hope (D-Arlington) and Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond) are introducing legislation modeled after the recommendations of Governor Bob McDonnell’s Virginia Health Reform Initiative (VHRI). The VHRI was formed to implement the federal health care reform law in Virginia….

Jon O’Brien: President Obama, don’t turn your back on women

Contributors

When healthcare reform was first proposed, you promised the American people that under your administration we wouldn’t lose the healthcare coverage we already had if we were happy with it. You said that we would get the healthcare coverage we wanted and needed. You promised that you would make decisions based on science and medically…