Governor Abigail Spanberger Highlights Work to Lower Healthcare Costs, Protect Virginians From Federal Cuts

RICHMOND, VA— Governor Abigail Spanberger last night joined MS NOW’s “The Weeknight” to underscore her focus on lowering healthcare costs for Virginia families and contending with the devastating cuts imposed by H.R. 1 — President Trump’s so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

Last week, Governor Spanberger celebrated the new Virginia Premium Savings program — which is projected to help up to 200,000 Virginians save up to hundreds of dollars on their health insurance premiums through Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace. The new state investments come after President Trump and his allies in Congress let federal tax credits expire that made healthcare coverage on the Marketplace much more affordable.

“We had over 100,000 Virginians roll off of the Affordable Care Act after the loss of the federal subsidies because they couldn’t afford it anymore,” said Governor Abigail Spanberger. “We created a state subsidy program meant to bridge that gap, and now as we’re heading towards open enrollment, about 200,000 Virginians will see potentially hundreds of dollars of savings if they come back to the ACA marketplace.”

The Governor also discussed her efforts to protect Virginians’ access to affordable quality healthcare as President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” jeopardizes coverage for 300,000 Virginians, strains healthcare providers, and puts rural hospitals at risk of closing.

“While Virginia is stepping forward to try and bridge gaps and to try and support our constituents, the people I serve as Governor, we cannot backfill every dollar that the federal government takes from us,” said Governor Spanberger. “The damage to our larger healthcare system is going to continue. And importantly, voters know that they have seen rural clinics close. They have heard hospital leadership talk about the need to close departments, principally labor and delivery, which is among the most expensive. And they know what this means to their communities.”

Governor Spanberger continued, “Virginians want a Congress that’s focused on actually taking action — whether it’s standing up to the President as he continues to wage a reckless war that has certainly driven up costs but also taken the lives of American service members. They want a Congress that’s going to stand up and not join the President in ripping apart our healthcare system.”

Governor Spanberger also highlighted record early vote numbers and encouraged Virginians to make their voices heard at the ballot box.

“We have incredible turnout in Virginia already,” said Governor Spanberger. “We have over 1.3 million people who have already cast an early ballot, and when you compare that to the 2022 midterms, it’s nearly double where we were point in time.”

BACKGROUND

In August, Governor Spanberger signed Executive Order 20 to strengthen the Commonwealth’s response to the devastating cuts to Medicaid and SNAP imposed by H.R. 1. The Governor’s order directs the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to protect healthcare coverage and food assistance for as many eligible Virginians as possible.

Virginia’s 2026-2028 biennial budget also includes more than $500 million in investments to strengthen the Commonwealth’s healthcare system. These investments include $150 million to create a new premium assistance program for the Marketplace to support Virginians in accessing affordable healthcare coverage, $225 million in a Federal Contingency Fund to contend with federal funding reductions, and $15 million to support Federally Qualified Health Centers, free clinics, and outreach workers in the wake of these federal cuts.

Click here to watch Governor Spanberger’s full interview on MS NOW.

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