Sears: “And so I would say to Virginia, don’t panic”

VIRGINIA – After backing Trump’s tax bill that’s stripping 322,000 Virginians of healthcare and putting six rural hospitals at risk of closing, Winsome Earle-Sears dismissed Virginians concerns, telling them “don’t panic.” Sears previously cheered on Trump’s tax bill passing, saying it “does so many great things.”

“As 322,000 Virginians are being stripped of their health insurance and rural hospitals are at risk of closing, after supporting these cuts all Winsome Earle-Sears has to say is ‘don’t panic.’ The Commonwealth deserves a leader who will offer real solutions instead of dismissing Virginians’ concerns,” said DPVA Spokesperson Maggie Amjad.

Read More About Virginians and Rural Hospitals Bracing for the Fallout of the Sears-Backed Trump Tax Bill: 

Annandale Today: Medicaid cuts would harm Virginians and the state budget

• The bill will result in a 21 percent cut in Medicaid for Virginia, state Sen. Saddam Salim (37th District-Merrifield) said at a July 10 forum organized by the Fairfax County Democratic Committee.

• “Rural hospitals will struggle to keep their doors open,” and that will have a ripple effect, causing healthcare costs to rise for everyone, Salim said.

• “This is about real people – the elderly, children with disabilities, and families who rely on Medicaid for life-saving care,” Salim said.

• Those cutbacks will have a damaging impact on rural hospitals, Pavord [Andrew Pavord, CEO of the Federal Consulting Alliance] said.

CBS 19: GOP plan sparks fears of Medicaid cuts in Virginia

• Local health advocates are raising alarms over a new Republican-backed budget proposal, warning that the plan could strip millions of Americans — including hundreds of thousands in Virginia — of their healthcare coverage.

• [...] critics argue the proposal is designed to let people "fall through the cracks" of programs like Medicaid.

• [Gregg Winston, co-chair of the Move to Health Equity Coalition, a Charlottesville-based group focused on healthcare access] Winston said the bill’s potential impact on Medicaid is especially troubling for low-income families in Central Virginia.

10 News, WSLS Roanoke: Local rural hospitals brace for effects of “Big Beautiful Bill”

• With the swipe of a pen, President Donald Trump signed what could be a death sentence to some rural hospitals.

• The cuts mean around 300,000 Virginians could lose their health insurance, leading to fewer patients at rural hospitals or clinics like the Tri-Area Community Health Center in Ferrum.

• [Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association’s Vice President for Communications, Julian Walker] Walker says the impacts of these potential closures will affect more than just the patients themselves.

• “There is the potential for an economic ripple effect not just to the direct hospital organization, to its stability and survival, but to the employment it provides. To the financial support it provides in the community, as an employer, as an organization that has relationships with other business entities,” Walker said.

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