Governor Spanberger Hosts Roundtable Focused on Protecting Virginians from Federal Healthcare & Food Cuts

RICHMOND, VA - Governor Abigail Spanberger today hosted a roundtable discussion to hear directly from key community partners representing health plans, hospitals, and providers across Virginia about the devastating cuts imposed by H.R.1 - President Donald Trump's so-called One Big Beautiful Bill - and the steps the Spanberger Administration is taking to protect Virginians' access to healthcare and food assistance.

President Trump's law is projected to threaten healthcare access for more than 550,000 Virginians receiving coverage through Medicaid. H.R.1 cuts the Medicaid program by one trillion dollars over the next 10 years nationwide, with an estimated $1.8 to $2.6 billion per year in lost federal funds in Virginia alone beginning in 2028. Additionally, H.R.1 cuts $187 billion for federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) assistance over the next decade.

"The President deliberately chose to jeopardize healthcare access for hundreds of thousands of Virginians, and we have to step up to protect patients across our Commonwealth," said Governor Abigail Spanberger. "That's why my Administration is prioritizing convening healthcare leaders to find new ways to reach Virginians at risk of losing their coverage. And we're making sure we do everything in our power to protect Virginians' access to care."

"The most important message we want Virginians to hear is this: if you are eligible for health coverage, we want to help you keep it," said Secretary of Health and Human Resources Marvin B. Figueroa. "These federal changes will create new challenges, but they will not change our commitment. We are working with partners across the Commonwealth to make sure eligible Virginians have the information, support, and resources they need to stay covered."

In response to these cuts, Governor Spanberger has directed Secretary Figueroa and agencies across state government to assess impacts on the Commonwealth's healthcare system and work to connect Virginians with additional coverage options. As part of these efforts, the Governor is hosting a series of roundtables and listening sessions to hear directly from Virginia patients, providers, and healthcare leaders affected by these federal cuts. Additionally, Virginia's biennium 2026-2028 budget includes $1 billion in investments to contend with the worst of the impacts - including $150 million to create a new premium assistance program for the Marketplace to support Virginians losing access to affordable healthcare coverage, and $350 million for the Medicaid Reserve Fund to help Virginia prepare for potential federal Medicaid cuts and protect access to care for the hundreds of thousands of Virginians who rely on the program.

"Virginians working in clinics, hospitals and health centers should be able to focus on serving their patients, not filling out more paperwork to ensure their patients can pay their medical bills," said Rufus Phillips, CEO of Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics. "We applaud the Spanberger Administration's work to mitigate the harm of this law."

Virginians concerned that their Medicaid coverage or SNAP benefits could be affected by H.R.1 should visit the Department of Medical Assistance Services website for more information on the law's changes to Medicaid coverage, or the Department of Social Services website for more information on the law's changes to SNAP benefits.

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