Health Care
- Attorney General Jones Permanently Blocks Federal SNAP Penalties Targeting Virginia
A federal judge in Oregon made a multi-state injunction permanent, shielding Virginia from steep SNAP fines and clarifying food aid for certain lawful permanent residents.
- We must solve Virginia’s other health care workforce crisis: A lack of educators
America’s health care workforce shortage is a known crisis: Over 85% of health care facilities lack adequate staff.
- Seven Rural Virginia Community Colleges Receive $5.93 Million for Health Care Training
A new state grant will help seven rural Virginia community colleges expand nursing, allied health and other training programs tied to local workforce needs.
- Chesapeake Bay Ospreys Endure Their Worst Breeding Season on Record
Researchers say osprey nests around the Chesapeake Bay produced fewer young than ever recorded, raising new questions about heat, drought, storms and food supplies.
- Report Says Hampton Roads Needs Thousands More Health Care Workers
Claude Moore Opportunities estimates shortages of more than 3,500 registered nurses plus therapists, aides and specialists.
- Dan Helmer House Bill 184 All-Payer Claims Database Evaluation Passes Senate
RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Senate gave unanimous approval to House Bill 184 on March 4, 2026, passing the measure with a 40-0 block vote after adopting a substitute from the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. The legislation directs the Virginia Department of Health, in consultation with Virginia Health Information, to conduct a comprehensive evaluation
- Louise Lucas Presses Data Center Tax Repeal After Virginia Senate Vote
RICHMOND (VA) (AP). Nearly 20 years ago, Virginia offered tax breaks to tech companies on software and equipment.
- Virginia Beach doctor pushes hospitals to establish protocols for dealing with Parkinson’s patients
By Yiqing Wang/WHRO Howard Weinberg keeps his Parkinson’s medication in a small container attached to his keychain, so he always has it wherever he goes. The retired doctor from Virginia Beach has to take the medication every six hours, at 1 o’clock and 7 o’clock, day and night. For him, that schedule is not optional. […]
- Rural Virginia has been kind to the GOP, yet Trump’s GOP allows rural healthcare to suffer
It would be easy to blame Republicans — especially the present White House occupant — for the steady atrophying of healthcare that’s readily accessible to Virginians in rural areas. You wouldn’t be wrong. You wouldn’t be totally right either. Policies put in place during President Donald Trump’s second term contribute substantially to the declining availability […]
- Balancing optimism and caution, Spanberger says Virginia’s revenues grew $2.1 billion in fiscal year 2026
Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Wednesday highlighted Virginia’s financial wins in the fiscal year that ended in July, touting a general revenue fund that increased by $2.1 billion, record investments in public services and a new energy consumption tax lawmakers levied on data centers that is projected to add $600 million to the commonwealth’s coffers in […]
- Alongside Jen Kiggans, United States House Speaker says Virginia’s 2nd District ‘will determine the fate of the country’
As part of an 18-state tour through more than 30 congressional districts, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said Monday that “Virginia’s 2nd District will determine the fate of the country because this will be a close election.” As Johnson stumped for U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, at the Cavalier Hotel on Monday, he […]
- Loudoun County Public Schools Considers 20 Percent Health Insurance Premium Increase
Loudoun County Public Schools has advanced a proposal to raise health insurance premiums by 20 percent. This measure addresses mounting expenses and seeks to maintain benefit stability. The plan responds to trends observed in the self insurance fund operations. The health self insurance fund policy requires a balance of no less than two months of […]
- Even without a new map, Buttigieg says Va. Dems can win with focus on healthcare, affordability
Virginia Democrats lost the congressional map they hoped would help them win as many as four Republican-held seats in this year’s midterm elections. Pete Buttigieg says they may not need it. The former U.S. transportation secretary and 2020 presidential candidate said Democrats can still make significant gains under Virginia’s existing map if they field competent […]
- Virginia Budget Directs $28.9 Million to At-Risk Programs Amid Fiscal Concerns
The State of Virginia has finalized its budget for the FY2027-FY2028 Biennium, drawing significant attention from fiscal conservatives concerned about escalating government expenditures. Lawmakers have approved a massive $28.9 million allocation specifically targeted for at-risk student programs within the K-12 public education system. This substantial financial commitment increases the maximum At
- Ballooning Entitlements: Virginia Budget Adds $2.4 Billion to Medicaid as Taxpayers Foot the Bill
Virginia taxpayers are bracing for a massive financial hit as the upcoming fiscal year 2026 through 2028 biennium budget includes a staggering net $2.4 billion General Fund investment to fully fund Medicaid and CHIP forecasts. This massive spending increase highlights a rapidly expanding welfare state that continues to consume an ever-growing portion of the state’s […]
- Virginia Lawmakers Allocate $1 Billion to Backfill Federal Healthcare Cuts, Sparking Overspending Concerns
As the federal government finally takes steps to rein in out-of-control spending, Virginia lawmakers are moving aggressively to shift those financial burdens directly onto state taxpayers. Legislators are currently advancing a budget proposal that allocates a staggering $1 billion in reserves for contingency funding to respond to federal funding reductions. This massive expenditure is specifically
- Virginia Taxpayers Forced to Fund $20 Million Bureaucratic Expansion for Public Sector Unions
Virginia Taxpayers Face Massive Bill for New Union Bureaucracies The state budget for fiscal year 2027 includes a staggering $20 million allocation designed exclusively to fund the start-up costs for public sector collective bargaining. This massive expenditure will finance the creation of entirely new government entities, including the Public Employee Relations Board and the Virginia […]
- Democrats challenge Beyer in Va.’s 8th Congressional District, marred by federal layoffs
Everyone in Northern Virginia knows someone who was “DOGEd,” either laid off or otherwise impacted by sweeping cuts initiated through President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. Virginia is home to nearly 200,000 federal workers; over 20,000 of them lost their jobs last year. The pain of those losses runs […]
- Virginia measles cases surge past 70, concentrated in Central Virginia
Virginia’s measles count has jumped by more than 30 cases in recent weeks, with most of the infections centered in Central Virginia around Buckingham County. Data from the Virginia Department of Health shows that there have been 77 cases this year, most involving unvaccinated people. The bulk of the cases are babies and children younger […]
- Governor Abigail Spanberger kills Prescription Drug Affordability Board proposal
A five-year effort to curb drug prices through a Prescription Drug Affordability Board just faced its third veto between two governors, as Abigail Spanberger formally rejected the measure Tuesday. The proposal had evolved over the years: first as a board to set payment limits on drug prices, and later as an advisory panel to help […]
- Virginia faces mental health provider shortages as Hampton Roads residents struggle to navigate care
By Yiqing Wang/WHRO A new national report found Virginia is facing “catastrophic” shortages in community mental health. Providers in Norfolk say many patients still struggle to know where to turn during a mental health crisis. The report from mental health policy group Inseparable found Virginians go out of network for mental health care six and a half […]
- Virginia Legislation Seeks Modernization of Social Services Technology Systems
Virginia lawmakers are advancing legislation aimed at modernizing the technological infrastructure supporting the state’s administration of key federal benefit programs. House Bill 66, introduced in the 2026 session of the Virginia House of Delegates, directs the Department of Social Services and the Department of Medical Assistance Services to engage a third-party vendor to conduct a […]
- A new law will make it easier to build a tiny house in your back yard, starting next year
An ADU with alley access in Richmond’s Fan neighborhood. (Photo by Wyatt Gordon) Accessory dwelling units — which could be a tiny house on another home’s lot, a garage-turned-apartment, a carriage house, or an ‘in-law suite’ — will be easier to build beginning next year, following Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s signature of a new law this […]
- Virginia lawmakers recess special session without a budget deal
The Virginia state Capitol in Richmond, where lawmakers convened Thursday for a special session to finalize the budget. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury) The Virginia General Assembly convened for a special session Thursday to finalize the state’s $212 billion budget, but recessed after just a few hours without a deal, underscoring deep divisions within […]
- March for Life abortion opponents hit the streets in Virginia March for Life
Attendees of Virginia March For Life in downtown Richmond on April 22, 2026. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury) As the governor, advocates and lawmakers celebrated the new maternal health laws inside the Patrick Henry Building Wednesday morning, about 1,000 people gathered outside for the Virginia March for Life Hosted with support from the Family […]
- Hospitals are not closing down
This post was originally published on this site. The hospitals in the area say that they will continue to serve the region, despite possible cuts in Medicaid funding which were approved by Congress last year. Public Citizen, a report highlighted by Virginia U.S. Senators. Tim Kaine, Mark Warner and others stated that Sentara Halifax Regional […]
- US employers created 178,000 new jobs in March, a huge increase from the February low.
This post was originally published on this site.WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) – American employers created 178,000 jobs in March, a surprising number after a dismal month of February. The unemployment rate dropped to 4.3%. The Labor Department announced Friday that the hiring of new employees was a positive sign after February’s loss of 133,000 positions. The […]
- Virginia sees 33,000 ACA enrollment drop since subsidies expired, more likely on the way
(Photo by Getty Images) What might be pocket change to some can be a breaking point for others — forcing tough choices between health insurance and everyday essentials. As Virginians, and Americans nationwide, face premium spikes in the Affordable Care Act marketplace after Congress failed to renew subsidies, many are weighing the cost of coverage […]
- Virginia House Advances Legislation Expanding Medicaid Telemedicine Access for Patient-Initiated Consultations
In a unanimous vote, the Virginia House of Delegates passed House Bill 1284 on February 13, 2026, incorporating provisions from House Bill 87 to broaden access to consultations under the state Medicaid plan managed by the Department of Medical Assistance Services.
- Affordability or tax hikes? Spanberger agenda caught in political crossfire
Gov. Abigail Spanberger made affordability the centerpiece of her 2026 agenda, promising relief for Virginians strained by high housing costs, rising energy bills and everyday expenses. But less than a month into the General Assembly session, several dozen tax-increase bills filed by Democratic lawmakers have given Republicans a ready-made political weapon — and an opening […]
- Rein in federal health care program that raises costs for Virginians
Virginians often have to choose between paying high health care expenses and their daily living costs at the gas station and grocery store. As a clinic worker in Tysons Corner I understand how vital it is that patients with chronic illnesses receive the care they require when they need it.
- Democrat Lawmakers in Virginia is 1 of just 3 states that passed license plate reader laws this year, despite widespread interest
Democrat Lawmakers in at least 16 states this year introduced bills to regulate the use of automated license plate readers responsible for collecting large amounts of data on drivers across the country.
- Virginia community college enrollment down as career, technical education signups increase
The number of students registering for dual enrollment and career and technical education continues to grow in the commonwealth, but simultaneously, student enrollment at Virginia’s community colleges has declined by 7% over nearly a 10-year period, creating a financial strain on the system and negatively impacting smaller colleges, state researchers revealed Monday.
- Winsome Earle-Sears On the Record
After four years presiding over the state Senate, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is attempting to make the leap to the governor’s mansion this fall. She is running on a platform of conservative values and her campaign largely mirrors the themes that brought Gov. Glenn Youngkin victory in 2021 — parents’ rights, fiscal responsibility and defending personal freedoms.
- Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin Announces Virginia Veterans Network Tops 30,000 Registered Users
Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that the Virginia Veterans Network (VVN), a resource built by veterans for veterans, has reached 30,000 registered users across the Commonwealth.
- The One Big Beautiful Bill is now law
Here’s what it means for you. Tax Provisions Significant Funding Provisions Significant Savings New Medicare Work Requirements Significant Benefits for America Economic Growth Potential: The tax cuts and business incentives are intended to stimulate economic growth, potentially increasing taxpayer income and reducing unemployment.
- Trump signs order aiming to lower U.S. drug costs to match prices abroad
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday aimed at lowering drug prices by pressuring pharmaceutical companies to align their U.S. pricing models with those in similarly wealthy countries.
- Gov. Youngkin: Intervene to protect Virginians from predatory debt collection practices
Here is the reality: Most Americans with cancer who report struggling to pay for medical expenses or navigating medical debt are insured.
- Virginia launches new dashboards to track maternal deaths, improve pregnancy outcomes
Virginia is rolling out a new set of tools aimed at tackling one of the most urgent health disparities in the country. Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Thursday announced the release of two new dashboards — one tracking maternal mortality and the other pregnancy-associated deaths — alongside an upgraded Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Dashboard that […]
- Republicans Expand Health Care Coverage Options For Virginia’s Realtor Community
This legislation gives thousands of Virginians the opportunity to purchase affordable, comprehensive health insurance and continue to cut down on the cost of living