Collegiate Times

Despite being one of the most well-off states in the United States, Virginia falls far behind in terms of unemployment benefits.  Only 26 percent of laid off workers are able to access benefits, and just 52,000 out of a total of 125,000 children living in deep poverty currently receive assistance.

This discrepancy becomes apparent in state expenditures and coverage on health care programs such as Medicaid or SCHIP, or FAMIS, a Virginian program that covers uninsured children who otherwise are not eligible for Medicaid benefits.

"While everyone says they're for kids, actions sometime speak otherwise ... you're not going to find any type of a leader who is going to say that they're not interested in helping children," McInerny said, "but the data shows that ... our safety net in Virginia is not doing enough to help these kids, or anyone, in poverty."

The struggle for covering uninsured children in Virginia has had plenty of ups and downs over the years, according to Rhonda Seltz, manager of Radford University's FAMIS Outreach Project.  "From a historical perspective, Virginia was one of the worst states as far as enrollments," Seltz said.

From 2002 to 2006, a four-year initiative supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to increase enrollment, simplify and coordinate between SCHIP and Medicaid dramatically improved privately uninsured citizens' health care.  

The election of former Gov. Warner closely coincided with the launch of the commission.  "The stars finally aligned because at that time Gov. Warner ... campaigned on the fact that 'I'm going to make sure that I get every child enrolled',"' Seltz said.  

"I can't emphasize enough the importance of that political support," Seltz said.  "We were recognized as one of the best programs in addressing all three of those goals.  It was the coolest thing because you could see and actually be a part of improving access to care."

The initiative ended on June 30, 2006.  On July 1, President Bush signed a federal budget deficit reduction act requiring photo identification and original birth certificates to gain access to SCHIP and Medicaid.  

"With a stroke of a pen (he) destroyed everything we had done in four years.  So that's when enrollment just went downhill," Seltz said.  "Our outreach program was without funding for about a year and half."

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