Sears when asked about the 350,000 Virginians facing healthcare cuts: “From what I understand, there are no Virginians who are going to lose Medicaid coverage in Virginia unless that's something that they choose” 

VIRGINIA – Winsome Earle-Sears is coming under fire for outright lying to Virginians about the sweeping healthcare cuts she backs. When asked about the hundreds of thousands of Virginians who are facing healthcare cuts, Sears lied saying “there are no Virginians who are going to lose Medicaid coverage in Virginia unless that's something that they choose” and then claimed “we're not taking anyone off the Medicaid rolls.”
 
“While Virginians worry about the sweeping healthcare cuts that Winsome Earle-Sears backed, all Sears has to say for herself are lies. Virginians deserve real answers and real solutions, not lies,” said DPVA Spokesperson Maggie Amjad.

What Virginians Are Seeing: 
 
Congressman Don Beyer: 

[@RepDonBeyer]

The Virginia Independent: Winsome Earle-Sears falsely claims Medicaid cuts won’t harm Virginians

• Virginia Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears falsely claimed in a television interview that no Virginians will lose insurance due to recent cuts to Medicaid signed into law by President Donald Trump.
• In a Sept. 3 interview on CNN, host Jake Tapper noted the estimated figure of 350,000 uninsured and said Virginia’s Department of Medical Assistance Services had estimated the commonwealth’s hospitals could lose $26 billion due to the law. He asked Earle-Sears, “What’s your plan to offset those costs?”
• Earle-Sears responded: “[...], there are no Virginians who are going to lose their Medicaid coverage in Virginia unless that’s something that they choose, [...]. And so we’re not taking anyone off the Medicaid rolls.”
• The law will increase out-of-pocket patient costs for those on Medicaid and require enrollees to prove twice yearly that they are employed or have a valid excuse not to be. 
• Experts predict this additional bureaucratic red tape and paperwork will cause many eligible people, including those with disabilities, to lose their insurance. It will also likely mean reduced services at or even closures of Virginia’s rural hospitals.
• Earle-Sears has previously praised Trump’s law and suggested that Virginia could make up its expected $29 billion loss in Medicaid funds by tapping its $4.7 billion emergency funds. Democratic state Sen. Creigh Deeds told Cardinal News in August that doing so would be unconstitutional and would not come close to covering the shortfall.

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