National MS Society staff and a group of Virginia advocacy volunteers called the VA CAN (Citizen’s Action Network) have named five legislative priorities in the state of Virginia for 2009:
- Establish a Virginia General Assembly Multiple Sclerosis Caucus. This would create an arena for members of the General Assembly to actively engage in discussions about critical health care, disability, transportation, and other issues affecting people living with MS.
- Avoid budget reductions to social programs in Virginia such as Medicaid, or other programs that impact people with disabilities. During a time when there are many budget cuts to social programs throughout the state of Virginia, we advocate for the protection of services to the most vulnerable Virginians.
- Increase access to accessible housing and establish a Housing Trust Fund. We are working to educate representatives about the lack of affordable and accessible housing throughout Virginia, seeking to build relationships with state housing agencies, and lobbying for a Housing Trust Fund to be established in the state.
- Develop a prescription drug assistance plan for people with MS in Virginia. Virginia is one of only 10 states that does not offer a state assistance plan to citizens to help pay for prescription medications. We are working to educate representatives about this issue and develop a prescription drug assistance plan for people with MS in Virginia.
- Ensure mental health parity and equal medical treatment for mental illness and physical ailments. In October 2008, a federal mental health parity law was passed which requires insurance companies to cover mental illness equal to physical ailments. We will monitor the implementation of the federal mental health parity law in Virginia to determine if any further action needs to be taken on a state level.
View our 2009 Lobby Day leave-behind for legislators.