Democrats in Virginia are calling attention to healthcare as a major campaign issue this year.
After several weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations, Republicans and Democrats in Richmond were finally able to strike a deal on a two-year budget that starts at the end of June. And Senator Ghazala Hashmi, a Democrat from Chesterfield County, says it has several significant victories for healthcare.
"This budget includes pay raises for home healthcare workers so that people who take care of our seniors can be more fairly compensated," Hashmi explains. "And this budget also includes an additional $40 million in funding for nursing homes that meet important metrics to ensure that they’re providing the highest level of care.”
One priority for Democrats that’s not part of the budget is a review board for prescription drugs.
"We had a bill that would’ve established this prescription drug affordability in Virginia," says Delegate Kathy Tran, a Democrat from Fairfax County. "I think it had bipartisan support, but unfortunately was vetoed by Governor Youngkin. And, this is not a partisan issue, right? Anywhere that you live in Virginia, whatever your political stripe is, when it comes down to whether or not you can afford life-saving medicine, we should put that issue forefront."
In his veto message, Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin said he worried that the new authority would limit access to treatment and hinder medical innovation.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
