A sponsored message by Affordable VA
Reader opinion authored by Frankie, from Virginia Beach
Growing up in coal country, there wasn’t a lot of opportunity for me after high school, and unless you could afford to go to college, it was hard to gain the skills needed to get a job somewhere else. The Air Force gave me a world of opportunity and the skills to build a life for myself and the family I would have. I’m incredibly grateful for the life it provided which eventually led me to Virginia Beach—my home for the last ten years. The community here and the camaraderie among veterans and military families are unmatched. We are all from somewhere else, and have all taken the same oath to each other and our fellow countrymen—that stays with you.
Unfortunately, active duty fails to prepare you for the realities of civilian life, most notably navigating health care. The Medicaid and SNAP cuts Rep. Jen Kiggans supported will leave families scrambling to pay for health care, and cuts to the Veterans Affairs are increasing veterans’ wait times for everything from basic primary care to surgery—all to pay for tax breaks for the very wealthy.
Having easy access to health care in the military is an incredible privilege, and few questions are asked. When you need a doctor, you can see one. But once you’re not reporting to a base every day, you learn about referrals, in-network vs. out-of-network, premiums that go up every year, and what happens when your insurance doesn’t cover all your family’s needs. For many in rural parts of Virginia, those Medicaid cuts have also led to clinic closures, while other facilities remain at risk of closure.
When my son was diagnosed with Autism, I was still active duty; military healthcare helped and where they couldn’t, the family support center was able to answer a lot of our questions. My spouse and I were grateful for the support we were able to access for him. But as he got older, we had a harder time navigating his behavior. We had been caring for him through the military health care system, but there was limited care for behavioral issues and we struggled to get the right care for him.
As my son approached adulthood, it became clear he would need much more specialized care and, unfortunately, there were few resources for adults on the Autism spectrum. After months of making phone call after phone call, I was able to get in contact with the local Community Services Board. Through their guidance, we were able to have my son signed up for Medicaid. That gave him access to providers the military didn’t have and once he got the right care, he stopped having outbursts, and our home life drastically improved.
It was through Medicaid that we were able to get him round-the-clock care from professionals trained to work with young adults like him. And it’s because of Medicaid that, despite having the mental capacity of a 13 or 14-year-old, he is able to live on his own as a 24-year-old with regular check-ins from social workers and home care providers.
It has taken years to find him the help he needs, and now, because of the Republican Tax Law my representative, Rep. Jen Kiggans, voted for, he may lose the support he has in place due to Medicaid cuts. He would lose his housing, his independence, and access to the medication he needs. And, just as prices for food, gas, and medication continue to rise, my son would have to move back home and we would return to struggling to care for him. My son is just one of over 1,520,000 Virginians who rely on Medicaid, including over 47,000 veterans.
I have personally written to and called Rep. Kiggans ahead of each of her votes for the Republican Tax Law and Medicaid cuts. I’ve gone to her office—I tried to impress upon her staff how those Medicaid cuts would hurt many people. Each time, I was told that Rep. Kiggans’ vote would never hurt her constituents and that I was wrong in my beliefs. I have even tried explaining that although my son lives on his own now, and for anyone who has a family member with special needs, they know how hard it is to get their loved one placed into independent living. These cuts that Rep. Kiggans voted for are cruel and will impact 260,000 Virginians. With how difficult it already is to get services at the city and state level, no one needs another hoop to jump through to prove they deserve care.
Rep. Jen Kiggans has failed veterans, military families, working families, the disabled community, and those with chronic illnesses. It doesn’t seem to matter what we say, if we show up at her office, go to mobile office hours, or even her office in DC. Rep. Jen Kiggans is not listening. She hasn’t ever held an in-person town hall, either, and requests from constituents like me are met with silence. So I’m asking her today to stand with Virginia families of all backgrounds, because cuts to Medicaid affect every community across Hampton Roads.
If we have learned anything in the last year, it’s that giving tax breaks to billionaires does not work. Giving them tax breaks at the expense of working people having access to health care is absolutely unconscionable. There is no profit high enough to quench the thirst of those at the top, but being able to see a doctor for those of us just trying to get by could mean the difference between being a contributing member of society and falling through the cracks. Rep. Kiggans, do what’s right: stop giving the rich a pass and stop cutting Virginians’ Medicaid.
Paid for by Affordable VA and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
