OVERVIEW:
With the passage of the federal American Rescue Plan Act, a COVID-19 economic stimulus package, Virginia is expected to receive approximately $6.8 billion in new funding that will likely result in the General Assembly convening another legislative special session on the budget later this year. Before that, though, the General Assembly will reconvene for its “veto session” on April 7 to consider legislative and budget amendments made by Governor Ralph S. Northam.
Legislators will also welcome a new member on April 7: Senator-elect Travis Hackworth, whom voters elected during a March 23 special election to fill a vacancy in Senate District 38 caused by the tragic passing of former Senator Ben Chafin due to COVID-19 complications. Hackworth, a Republican and former Tazewell County Supervisor, handily won the election and will participate in the veto session.
There are more elections ahead this year in Virginia, and as always, the results will be influential in how future health care policy will take shape in Virginia. If you’re interested in supporting candidates in the 2021 elections who will work to improve quality health care, please consider donating to VHHA’s political action committee, HosPAC.
--The VHHA Advocacy Team
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON, D.C.:
Virginia’s U.S. Senators Work to Support Rural Health Care; U.S. Senate Extends Moratorium on Medicare Sequestration Cuts
Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) has introduced two bipartisan pieces of legislation to support rural health care providers in Virginia: the Strengthening Rural Health Clinics Act of 2021 and the Save Rural Hospitals Act of 2021, which Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) is also sponsoring. VHHA strongly supports both bills.
The Strengthening Rural Health Clinics Act of 2021 would make a technical fix to protect existing rural health clinics from a sudden and unexpected Medicare payment rate change that was erroneously brought on by the December 2020 COVID-19 relief bill. A provision of the legislation has already been included in a bill that passed the U.S. Senate at the end of March.
The Save Rural Hospitals Act of 2021 would fix a flawed funding formula that results in disproportionately low Medicare payments for hospitals in rural and low-wage areas. The bill would provide additional financial support for rural hospitals that are already operating on very thin margins and shutting down at record rates during the COVID-19 crisis.
In a news release, VHHA President & CEO Sean Connaughton noted, “It is critical that we protect rural hospitals so individuals and families in less populated communities in Virginia, and across the United States, can access essential medical services when they need them 24/7/365. The COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of the importance of access to hospital-based acute care services at a moment’s notice when seconds and minutes truly matter. Across the country, 180 rural hospitals have closed in the past 17 years, including two in Virginia since 2013. Senator Warner’s Save Rural Hospitals Act of 2021 is a welcome proposal that recognizes the challenging conditions facing many rural hospitals and offers a common sense solution to appropriately adjust reimbursement rates so hospitals aren’t unfairly penalized under an outdated payment methodology that fails to account for current realities.”
Additionally, the U.S. Senate recently passed a bill that would postpone the planned two percent cut to Medicare payments, under a policy known as sequestration, until the end of 2021. The House is expected to consider the Senate-passed bill the week of April 11 when it returns to Washington D.C.
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN RICHMOND:
Virginia General Assembly to Reconvene April 7 for “Veto Session”
The Virginia General Assembly will meet on April 7 to consider amendments made by Governor Northam to legislation and the state budget bill passed in the 2021 Legislative Session. Governor Northam did not veto any bills approved by the General Assembly this year. The 2021 Legislative Session was successful for Virginia’s hospitals and health systems, though VHHA has two outstanding budget priorities that have not yet been remedied: removing the Medicaid penalties on emergency department utilization, and securing a dedicated funding source for the Virginia Trauma Center Fund.
Governor Northam did not change language in the budget that gives the General Assembly the authority to allocate new federal relief funds. Virginia will receive approximately $6.8 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act that President Biden signed into law in March.
VIRGINIA 2021 ELECTIONS:
Party Nominating Contests Approaching
The offices of governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general, as well as all 100 districts in the House of Delegates, will be on the ballot in Virginia this November. First though, the Democratic and Republican parties must nominate their candidates, and this year, the contests are unusually crowded for both parties.
Republicans have chosen an unassembled convention on May 8, with voting locations across Virginia, to nominate their candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. To participate, individuals must apply to be delegates with their local party unit. Republicans will using ranked-choice voting, in which delegates vote for candidates by order of preference. If a candidate does not receive a majority of the vote in the first round, the candidate or candidates with the fewest votes will be eliminated. Ballots will then be recalculated until one candidate receives a majority of votes.
Democrats have chosen to hold a statewide primary on June 8, which will coincide with the primaries to nominate both Democratic and Republican candidates for the House of Delegates in districts where there are contested primaries. In-person absentee voting begins on April 24, and the deadline to request a mail-in absentee ballot is May 28. The deadline to register to vote or update existing registration is May 17. For more information, visit the Virginia Department of Elections website.
