Sixteen years ago this week, President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. Since that time, more than a million uninsured Virginians have been able to get health insurance.
"In 2010, the uninsured rate for adult women in Virginia was 16%. The most recently available data shows that the uninsured rate for adult women in Virginia is at 8%. That means, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, we were able to cut the uninsured rate for non-elderly women in Virginia in half," says Ashley Kenneth at the Commonwealth Institute. "But that progress is all imperiled due to HR1's healthcare cuts."
The Virginia General Assembly is considering backfilling some of the cuts created by HR1, although state budget negotiations are currently at a standstill. The Senate budget includes $200 million and the House budget has $79 million.
Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan says Congress needs to take action.
"While I'm thankful that my former colleagues in the Virginia General Assembly are doing what they can to help backfill some of the expired federal tax credit, it's really on Congress to undo these tax handouts and making corporations and the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share and restore funding for both Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act." McClellan told reporters Monday.
Nine House Republicans joined House Democrats earlier this year to pass a bill to revive Obamacare subsidies that expired last year. That bill is currently stalled in the Senate.
Meanwhile, here in Virginia, leaders of the House and Senate are hoping to strike a budget compromise next month.
