Medicaid Expansion in Virginia
Health For All Virginians is an organization that advocates for Medicaid Expansion.
Here are a few opportunities for HAV members and supporters to get involved in this week. Please see below for more details.
1. Like the Healthcare for All Virginians Coalition on Facebook
Since session, we have quadrupled the number of likes on our Facebook page! Why is this important? By increasing the number of likes on our page, we are able to amplify our reach across the state with our digital campaign. Please help us reach 600 likes by next Friday. You can like the HAV Coalition Click here
2. Healthcare for All Virginians Letter Writing Campaign
Nearly two weeks ago, the HAV coalition launched a letter campaign to urge state lawmakers to expand Medicaid. Lawmakers in every district across Virginia have the opportunity to help their constituents and their neighbors who lack health insurance. To date, we have generated more than 700 letters. If you have not sent letters to your lawmakers, please do so Click here . It takes less than one minute
3. Healthcare for All Virginians Postcard Initiative
The Medicaid Grassroots Postcard Initiative launched a campaign to send postcards to Republican lawmakers and members of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Health and Human Resource Subcommittees. To date, they have sent over 1,000 postcards. If you or members of your organization would like to send postcards to your state lawmakers and members of the HHR subcommittees, the template can be found Click here . Suggested language and mailing addresses for HHR subcommittee members can be found Click Here
4. Canvassing
Each weekend leading up to February 18th, we are working with our partners to canvass in key legislative districts. These are key opportunities for HAV members to educate our fellow Virginians about the importance of Medicaid expansion. Below, you will find a list of canvassing opportunities, along with the sponsoring organization.
Time frame: February 10th-February 11th
Sponsoring Organization: Liberal Women of Chesterfield County
Districts: Delegate Robinson & Senator Sturtevant
Sign-Up: To sign-up, please contact Heather Jones at heatherjonespt@live.com
Sponsoring Organizations: New Virginia Majority, Planned Parenthood VA, & SEIU VA
Districts: Delegate Hugo, Delegate Stolle, & Senator Dunnavant
Sign-Up: To sign-up, please complete this form. Click here
Sponsoring Organization: Virginia Organizing
Districts: Senator Newman & Delegate Pillion
Sign-Up: To sign-up, please contact Brian Johns at bjohns@virginia-organizing.org
5. Virtual Phone Banking
Our partners at New Virginia Majority, provided an opportunity for HAV members to engage in virtual phone banking for Medicaid expansion. With your help, along with many others, we can engage with Virginia voters on this important issue. The phone banking activities are focused in following districts:
Delegate Chris Stolle, HD83: https://www.openvpb.com/vpb_bycode/396842L-427884
Delegate Jason Miyares, HD82: https://www.openvpb.com/vpb_bycode/EA6842E-731139
Delegate David Yancey, HD94: https://www.openvpb.com/vpb_bycode/5B6842L-454275
Delegate Todd Pillion, HD4: https://www.openvpb.com/vpb_bycode/FB6842E-949325
Delegate Nick Rush, HD7: https://www.openvpb.com/vpb_bycode/AC6842P-776917
Delegate Riley Ingram, HD62: https://www.openvpb.com/vpb_bycode/DD6842A-507329
Instructions for this activity can be found here. Click here
6. Patch-through Calls
Our partners at AARP Virginia, provided an opportunity for HAV members to directly connect to their lawmakers' offices via patch-through calls. This is how it works. If you are calling from a land line, it will give you a series of choices for legislators. If you are calling from a cell phone, callers enter their zip code to identify their legislators and are then routed to their selection. You can call your lawmakers every day and raise up the importance of expanding access to coverage for more Virginians.
State Senate Hotline: 1-844-252-3720
State House Hotline: 1-844-252-3723
Example Script
As a citizen of Virginia and your constituent, I am glad to know that there is a new sense of higher purpose at work among lawmakers this year. I want you to know that I support bringing health care to the hundreds of thousands of Virginians who lack it and can't afford it.
With expanded Medicaid, nearly 400,000 low-income Virginia adults could gain coverage. They are in every district across the state, including ours. In our district, XXX (Click on these links to find numbers by Locality, House District click here, and Senate District) people could gain coverage. These are your constituents and our neighbors.
I hope you will work with your colleagues across the aisle to bring needed health care and economic security to people who still struggle in this economy, and do the right thing not only for our district, but for this state that we all call home.
Best,
Kenneth L. Gilliam, Jr., (he, him, his)
Policy Associate The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis