On July 1, Gov. Ted Strickland from Ohio sent a letter to members of Congress asking them to support a federal expansion of Medicaid family planning coverage. Expanded coverage would include breast and cervical cancer screenings, contraceptive care, and basic preventive care to millions of women and families in need. Gov. Strickland also reached out to his colleagues across the country and asked Governors from other states to support this important expansion.

Yesterday, Gov. Tim Kaine (D-VA) agreed to sign on to this letter that would provide basic health care under Medicaid as part of federal health care reform.

ACTION: Please send Gov. Kaine a thank you for his support of this important measure!

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

Thank you for your support of the Medicaid Family Planning State Option. This small change in federal law will give states the flexibility to quickly and efficiently expand coverage for basic preventive health care under Medicaid. If the waiver passes Congress, Virginians will have greater access to breast and cervical cancer screenings, contraceptive care, and prenatal care. These important services will not only save the state money, but they will also allow underserved and uninsured women and families to be more proactive about their health.

During these tough economic times, it is particularly important to expand Medicaid coverage, as many Americans are being forced to forgo services to make ends meet. Unfortunately, going without these valuable preventive services usually ends up costing the state more money and places the health of individuals at risk.

Thank you for standing with Gov. Strickland on this critical expansion of health care services.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
July 10, 2009