Governor Spanberger Announces Virginia United Coalition to Protect Virginians From Federal Healthcare & SNAP Cuts

RICHMOND, VA - Governor Abigail Spanberger announced the creation of the Virginia United Coalition, bringing together 32 organizations from across the Commonwealth to help Virginians navigate the devastating healthcare and food assistance cuts imposed by H.R. 1 - President Trump's so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill."

The consequences of President Trump's law will reverberate across patients, families, healthcare professionals, providers, and communities. Because of these widespread negative impacts, more than 300,000 Virginians covered by Medicaid are at risk of losing their healthcare. Since June 2025, SNAP participation has declined in the Commonwealth by more than 150,000 people. Virginia is working to mitigate these harms by partnering with organizations spanning healthcare, food access, faith communities, workforce development, education, and philanthropy to help individuals understand changing federal requirements, maintain healthcare coverage and food assistance, and connect with critical resources.

"Republicans in Washington made the deepest cuts to healthcare and food assistance in our nation's history - threatening the health and well-being of Virginians across the Commonwealth," said Governor Abigail Spanberger. "While there is no way to undo all the harms caused by the so-called 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' our Commonwealth is doing everything we can to help eligible Virginians maintain access to coverage and care. At this all-hands-on-deck moment, partners across the Commonwealth are stepping up to help contend with this chaos."

The Governor's coalition is unprecedented in Virginia, coordinating a response from community organizations stepping up to help Virginians contend with federal changes that are disrupting access to healthcare coverage and food assistance. Participating organizations are bringing their own expertise, staff, resources, and community networks to the effort - building on existing programs while developing additional ways to reach Virginians who may need more help navigating these new requirements.

Through the Virginia United Coalition, participating organizations have committed to doing what they are able to protect the health and well-being of Virginians, mitigate the effects of H.R. 1, and strengthen connections between organizations and state agencies. These organizations will help identify implementation issues and emerging gaps early and communicate these problems to the Commonwealth, as well as share practices, resources, and lessons across their organizations. Partners will also help provide enrollment and renewal assistance, workforce development resources, and frontline staff training. While the specific commitments of partners vary, the collective effort is designed to help eligible Virginians maintain access to critical benefits and understand the steps they may need to take as federal changes are implemented.

"Families already have enough to manage without having to figure out these changes alone," said Secretary of Health and Human Resources Marvin B. Figueroa. "These partners know their communities and can help people get clear answers and keep the benefits they qualify for. They can also tell us when something isn't working, so we can fix it."

Examples of these commitments include:

• Goodwill of Central and Coastal Virginia will establish a dedicated referral process to consider people receiving Medicaid or SNAP benefits who may be affected by new work requirements for employment opportunities. Goodwill will train success coaches, its Mission Integration team, and other staff to help people navigate the waiver process. The organization will also extend training opportunities to people preparing to reenter their communities, including currently incarcerated individuals, and work with the Commonwealth on outcome-based reporting to measure results.

• Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics will invest a portion of its existing statewide public awareness campaign budget in targeted digital advertising to help Medicaid recipients understand how to maintain their coverage. Representing more than 70 free and charitable clinics, the association will help member clinics share accurate information, connect patients with enrollment assistance through programs such as Enroll Virginia and SignUpNow, and coordinate with state agencies and partners to help clinics resolve Medicaid eligibility issues.

• Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association (VHHA) will help hospitals and healthcare providers prepare for Medicaid changes by providing training on presumptive eligibility, six-month renewals, exemption pathways, and reinstatement processes. VHHA will also review state-developed notices, forms, and verification workflows to identify potential barriers before implementation, share data with the Commonwealth to help assess the effects of coverage losses, and provide technical assistance to rural providers seeking funding through Virginia's Rural Health Transformation Program.

• Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy recently hired a dedicated Faith Network Community Coordinator to strengthen outreach and support through its network of more than 900 congregations and faith communities. The organization will train faith leaders and volunteers, connect congregations with Commonwealth staff who can explain H.R. 1 requirements and timelines, and provide practical, accessible information to help communities respond to changing healthcare and food assistance needs. It will also coordinate with food banks, free clinics, community health centers, and other local partners.

• UnitedHealthcare will coordinate outreach to help members understand eligibility changes, renewal requirements, and available assistance. Through direct mail, email, text messages, and other communications, UnitedHealthcare will work with providers, the Commonwealth, and community partners to help eligible members maintain coverage, identify potential disruptions in care - particularly for people with chronic conditions, behavioral health needs, disabilities, or complex medical needs - and share implementation challenges and operational insights with the state.

Organizations who are interested in joining the Virginia United Coalition should reach out to the Secretariat of Health and Human Resources. The current list of participating organizations is below:

• Aetna
• American Heart Association
• Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
• Capital Area Food Bank
• Claude Moore Opportunities
• Federation of Virginia Food Banks
• Food Access Coalition
• Goodwill of Central and Coastal Virginia
• Humana
• Interfaith Center for Public Policy
• La Casa de la Salud
• Medical Society of Virginia
• No Kid Hungry VA
• Old Dominion University
• Sentara Healthcare
• The Commonwealth Institute
• Total Life Center of Southside Virginia
• United Way
• UnitedHealthcare
• Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics
• Virginia Association of Health Plans
• Virginia Chamber of Commerce
• Virginia Community Health Worker Association
• Virginia Community Healthcare Association
• Virginia Community Pharmacy Association
• Virginia Health Care Association
• Virginia Health Care Foundation
• Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association
• Virginia Nurses Association
• Virginia Pharmacy Association
• Virginia Poverty Law Center
• Virginia Rural Health Association

This summer, Governor Spanberger signed Executive Order 20 to strengthen the Commonwealth's response to the devastating cuts to Medicaid and SNAP imposed by H.R. 1. The Governor's order directs the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to protect healthcare coverage and food assistance for as many eligible Virginians as possible. The order lays out the Commonwealth's plan to contend with H.R. 1 in a way that mitigates harm by preventing gaps in coverage, improving statewide coordination, promoting economic mobility, keeping Virginia families safe and healthy, and prioritizing affordability.

President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" cuts the Medicaid program by one trillion dollars over the next 10 years nationwide, with an estimated $1.8 to $2.6 billion per year in lost federal funds in Virginia alone beginning in 2028. This estimate may even triple based on rules proposed this year by the Trump Administration. H.R. 1 is also adding pressure to Virginia's food assistance program as food pantries face rising demand and federal food assistance participation declines.

Virginia's 2026-2028 biennial budget includes more than $500 million in investments to strengthen the Commonwealth's healthcare system. These investments include $150 million to create a new premium assistance program for the Marketplace to support Virginians in accessing affordable healthcare coverage, $225 million in a Federal Contingency Fund - which the Governor's Executive Order 20 helps the Administration better leverage - to contend with federal funding reductions, and $15 million to support Federally Qualified Health Centers, free clinics, and outreach workers in the wake of these federal cuts.

Earlier this year, Virginia launched dashboards that show locality-level data on how recent federal cuts and policy changes are projected to impact programs such as SNAP and Virginia Medicaid, including through new work requirements for certain Virginians covered by Medicaid. Additionally, Governor Spanberger and her Administration hosted a series of roundtables and listening sessions to hear directly from patients, providers, and healthcare leaders across the Commonwealth who are affected by these federal cuts.

Virginians concerned that their Medicaid coverage could be affected by H.R. 1 should visit the Department of Medical Assistance Services for more information on the law's changes. Those concerned that their food assistance could be affected by H.R. 1 should visit the Department of Social Services for more information about the law's changes to SNAP.

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