Governor Stops In To Make Pitch for Health Care Coverage

McAuliffe at the "Enroll VA" office in Roanoke last week.
McAuliffe at the “Enroll VA” office in Roanoke last week.

Governor Terry McAuliffe made a stop in Roanoke last week at the Enroll Virginia local office, located inside a Legal Aid Society office on Campbell Avenue. McAuliffe once again touted the benefits of the Affordable Care Act, urging more Virginians to sign up via the federal website, HealthCare.gov.

He also talked about the 100 or so enroll “assisters” that the state has hired, using federal funds. The assisters are working with the certified navigators that are helping people sign up for “Obamacare” on the website – that is said to be working much better in its second year.

The deadline for new signups is February 15 (there was a December 15 deadline for those that wanted their coverage to start on January 1.) McAuliffe called out to Roanoke area navigator Patrick Kelly several times: “We’ve got your back Patrick,” he said, alluding to the help Kelly will now receive from assisters who will also go out into the field to malls and other public venues, talking about the benefits of having health care coverage – and also the increasing penalties for those that do not enroll by the deadline and must wait for the next open enrollment period.

There are also student volunteer enroll assisters that will work under a new umbrella organization called Commonwealth Covered. Recent Duke University graduate Sanjay Kishore is heading up the Roanoke office during this enrollment period: “We’re going to canvas churches, libraries, malls … and spread the word. There are experts [navigators like Kelly] that know how to sign people up – but they don’t have the time to go out. That’s what we really want to help with.” Kishore says the assisters are also trained to walk people through the enrollment process at healthcare.gov. “We’re really thankful that the governor is so committed to this effort.”

About 216,000 signed up for health care plans the first year, but McAuliffe said around 300,000 more were eligible for coverage. “I have fought very hard [for health care coverage] since I was elected earlier this year,” McAuliffe reminded those gathered.

Many of those plans would be subsidized by the federal government, depending on income. “Unfortunately there weren’t enough [navigators] to help them all.” That’s where the governor hopes the enroll assisters can make a difference in putting a dent in that 300K number by February 15.

“It’s a new day,” said McAuliffe, referring to former Republican Governor Bob McDonnell’s reluctance to assist with a program widely assailed by the GOP at both the state and national level. “The state is participating this year.”

The Governor once again reminded a gathering that included Roanoke Mayor David Bowers, City Councilman Sherman Lea and former State Senator Granger McFarlane that Virginia could get back 2.6 billion dollars from the federal government annually if it sets up its own exchange – which the Republican-controlled General Assembly chose not to do last spring.

McAuliffe also said he had negotiated an agreement that would have paid the 10 percent Virginia would have been responsible for once the federal government’s 3-year 100 percent commitment ended.

Republicans in general don’t trust that the feds will pay that 90 percent for health care coverage long term. “The General Assembly decided to leave that money in Washington – and it’s now going to other states,” noted McAuliffe, who has taken some executive actions that allows 200,000 lower income residents to be eligible for health care coverage.

Four enrollment assisters will work out of the Roanoke office until the February deadline.

“These assisters are making a real difference in people’s lives,” said McAuliffe, who also helped someone re-enroll in a plan before he left the Roanoke office. The Governor said he would make another pitch when the General Assembly session starts again next month, stressing the financial windfall he says the Commonwealth would realize by setting up its own exchange – but he added there’s only so much cajoling he can do.

By Gene Marrano

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