Virginia gubernatorial candidates discuss Medicaid, other issues at disability forum

The nominees for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general spoke about Medicaid access, incarceration, disaster preparedness and voting rights at a virtual forum recently hosted by The Arc of Virginia and other disability advocacy groups. 

Almost 12% of Virginians have a disability as of 2021, according to the Virginia Wellbeing Dashboard, which uses research from the Center on Society and Health at VCU.

Tonya Milling, executive director of The Arc of Virginia, said voters with disabilities vote at close to the same rate as those without disabilities. The forum is an opportunity for people with disabilities to share their experiences and show they are an important voter block.

Medicaid is a big concern for voters leading up to the 2025 gubernatorial election, and will have a significant impact on the disability community, according to Milling. 

“There is reason and cause for the tremendous fear that is happening in the community right now for the cuts that are coming,” Milling said. 

Medicaid views

Gubernatorial candidates have contrasting opinions on how H.R.1, the reconciliation bill also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, will impact Medicaid access in Virginia. Over one million Virginians are on Medicaid, according to the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services.

Just more than 10 million people nationwide could lose coverage by 2034 due to the legislation’s changes in Medicaid and the expiration of Affordable Care Act tax credits, according to a study by Kaiser Family Foundation. In Virginia, roughly 350,000 people are estimated to lose coverage. 

Abigail Spanberger, Democratic nominee for governor, said the impact of the bill will be significant to Virginians. As governor, she said she will invest in waiver services and ensure access to care. 

“The impacts will be catastrophic, but as governor, I will work to mitigate every harm that will be created,” Spanberger said. 

H.R. 1 requires Medicaid recipients to work 80 hours per month, which will cut federal Medicaid spending by $326 billion, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. 

Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, Republican nominee for governor, said Medicaid will continue to be offered to those who are employed or looking for work. Virginia has implemented more waiver slots and as governor she does not intend on cutting those. 

“We're not working in vain and we're not trying to make anyone's life any harder, and I don't want you to believe that at all,” Earle-Sears said. 

Eligible Virginia residents with a developmental disability can apply for a waiver to receive services such as health care while living outside of an institution. These Developmental Disability waivers are administered through state Medicaid and the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. There is currently a waitlist for the waivers. 

Under Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Right Help, Right Now plan, the current biennial budget directed over $247 million to support 3,440 waiver slots.

Disaster preparedness

People with a disability are two to four times more likely to be injured or killed in a natural disaster, according to the National Council on Disability. 

John Reid, Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, said he would implement emergency preparedness plans that include individuals with disabilities, such as accessible shelters, access to medication and medical equipment and an inclusive alert system. 

“I want to make sure that we bake in solutions on the front end, in the rehearsals, in the drills that are done with all of the state agencies,” Reid said. 

Current state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, plans to work with the Disability Commission to prioritize this issue and propose legislation. Hashmi said she would push for accessibility in every aspect of disaster planning.

State agencies and emergency management divisions should ensure all shelters are accessible and have adequate backup power for medical equipment, Hashmi said.

An accessible alert system is also a priority, including ASL interpretation, captioning and screen reader compatibility. 

“All of these measures are about ensuring that when crisis strikes, no Virginian is left behind,” Hashmi said. 

Incarceration

Almost 40% of people incarcerated in state prisons report having a disability, according to a study done in 2016 by the U.S. Department of Justice. Nearly 24% report a cognitive disability.

Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares, who is running for his second term, said every Virginia Department of Corrections facility has an Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator to manage disability concerns. 

“One thing we have realized is one size does not fit all,” Miyares said. “You have to have individuals on site able to attend to the individual challenges with those that are dealing with either intellectual or developmental disabilities.” 

Miyares discussed the same-day care and crisis response provided through Youngkin’s Right Help, Right Now initiative.

Jay Jones, Democratic nominee for attorney general, said law enforcement should have the tools and training necessary to handle situations involving individuals with disabilities. This includes mental health crisis responders working with law enforcement. 

“I will always have an open door to hear from your community on ways that we can improve fairness and public safety,” Jones said. 

Voting rights

Many voters with disabilities are placed under guardianship if the individual is considered incapacitated by a court, according to state law. Under guardianship, a person could lose their ability to vote. 

Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, proposed a bill in the recent General Assembly session that would ensure the right to vote is not automatically stripped, but handled through a court proceeding. The bill passed the Senate, but was left in the House Courts of Justice. 

Jones would support a system which protects the voting rights of Virginians under guardianship. He said state agencies and local departments of social services should implement cognitive evaluations to determine an individual’s capacity to vote, reviewed yearly. 

“No Virginian should lose the opportunity to participate in our democracy without regular meaningful review,” Jones said. 

Miyares said a formal court hearing must occur if an individual does not have the capacity to vote, but there are options to accelerate the process. 

“If there are concerns that someone's having that voice denied, there are multiple options available,” Miyares said.

Lucy Beadnell, director of advocacy for The Arc of Northern Virginia, said there are concerns for the disability community in transportation, education and voting. She said elected officials can be more inclusive to understand the needs of the community. There is a steep learning curve to the one-term, four-year governor’s seat. 

“We always hope to see with the new administration … a real willingness to learn to make policy proposals based upon people who have real lived experience,” Beadnell said. “And to hear those voices and to make sure that door stays open.”