Thanks to Community Works for healthcare panel | Letters

Dear Editor:

Thanks to Community Works 4Page for putting on the October 15 informational session about the impact on Page County of recent federal cuts to healthcare. More than 70 people attended the session at the West Luray Recreation Center (“the REC”).

The first of three panelists was Dan Sullivan — a “navigator” with the non-profit “Enroll Virginia,” that helps people get and keep health insurance under the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. Mr. Sullivan explained that passage of the ACA and Virginia’s expansion of Medicaid enabled more people to be insured and helped reduce medically-caused personal bankruptcy by more than 50 percent. These gains are now in jeopardy. He expects that Congress’ cuts to ACA subsidies will push up premiums on Virginia’s ACA exchange next year as much as 500 percent, which will lead many people to drop their insurance. With recent changes to Medicaid coverage — including more paperwork to demonstrate eligibility and more bureaucratic burden on individuals, employers and the local Department of Social Services — fewer people will keep Medicaid coverage. And with fewer people covered, nursing homes can expect reduced revenues, forcing some to close. More broadly, beyond the ACA and Medicaid, he projects people with other health insurance will face significantly higher premiums (on the order of an additional 20 percent), higher deductibles, and more out of pocket expenses.

Dr. Jeffrey Feit, Chief Population Health Officer of Valley Health, explained that the hospital system treats all people regardless of ability to pay, but as fewer people retain insurance coverage, the system’s revenues will fall. Valley Health estimates that the recent federal cuts will leave a projected hole of $60 to $70 million annually. How Valley Health (including Page Memorial) manages that challenge remains to be seen; it’s difficult to imagine how to avoid reduced services. Dr. Feit also noted that a number of Valley Health’s medical staff are in the U.S. on H1-B visas. The Administration’s proposed $100,000 fee for these people will make recruiting much more difficult and expensive.

Nicky Fadley, Executive Director of the non-profit Strength In Peers, explained that her organization provides peer recovery services to individuals who are struggling with substance use and mental health challenges. They also partner with the Page County Sheriff’s Office to provide individual and group peer support to inmates at Page County Jail as part of their larger reentry recovery program. This year has been a “rollercoaster,” with the sudden termination of multiple federal grants which required cutting more than half the staff who serve Page County and reducing the number of people who can receive services. The organization has been successful at obtaining new grants from Valley Health and the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to rebuild its peer support and outreach capacity. However, reliance on grant funding is becoming increasingly risky for nonprofits.

Before writing this letter, I reached out to the Local Coordinator for Community Works 4Page — Sara Finn — to learn whether the healthcare panel discussion was recorded. It was, and the link’s available on the Community Works 4Page Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/176xZSEbBc/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Thanks again to Community Works 4Page for providing us such valuable information and helping us understand how the healthcare system really operates.

Denise Wales ~ Luray, Va.

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