Hampton, Virginia—Vice President Mike Pence will visit Hampton today. The visit comes just a few days after the Trump/Pence budget unveiling humongous proposed cuts to health care funding, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act. Affordable, quality health care is a top issue for Virginians, and Vice President Pence should be prepared to defend himself on this heartless move. 

“Everyone should be able to go to the doctor when they get sick without worrying about a huge bill coming in the mail later. But the Trump/Pence budget does just the opposite by cutting funding for crucial programs like Medicare and Medicaid,” Anna Scholl, Executive Director of Progress Virginia said. “Virginians want access to affordable, quality health care when they need it, and Trump and Pence have proven time and time again that they can’t deliver. We need politicians who will look out for people in our community and ensure that everyone can access the health care they need when they need it.” 

Background:

The Trump/Pence budget includes about $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act over 10 years. 

• Part of the cuts include cutting funds to support Medicaid expansion in the states. 
• Additionally, the Trump/Pence proposed budget cuts another $600 billion from Medicare. 
• These cuts come after Trump promised not to cut Medicare funding in the budget. 

Virginia expanded Medicaid in 2018, and the move has proven to be very popular. 

• According to a poll, 71% of Virginians approve of Medicaid Expansion. 
• An additional 380,000 Virginians were able to get health insurance coverage through Medicaid Expansion in 2019.