RICHMOND – Virginia Chamber President and CEO Barry DuVal released the below statement following the Forum on Medicaid and Business, hosted by the Virginia Chamber and ChamberRVA at the Richmond Omni. The Forum, keynoted by Governor Ralph Northam, brought together legislators, the business community, and health care experts to discuss health care, the state budget, and how using federal funds to increase health care coverage could impact Virginia businesses:

“We were pleased to bring together Governor Northam, members of the House and Senate, and members of the business community for this important discussion on health care and Virginia business. As our Commonwealth faces an important decision regarding Medicaid’s role in the state budget process, it is important to note that the rising cost of health care is the top concern of the business community, as much of the cost of the uninsured gets passed along to employers. The Chamber supports innovative approaches to providing health care access and quality, controlling costs, and strengthening our health systems that so many depend upon.”

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About the Virginia Chamber of Commerce

The Virginia Chamber of Commerce is the largest business advocacy organization in the Commonwealth, with more than 26,000 members. The Chamber is a non-partisan, business advocacy organization that works in the legislative, regulatory and political arenas to act as the catalyst for positive change in all areas of economic development and competitiveness for Virginia. In December 2017, the Chamber released an update to its long-term strategic economic development plan, Blueprint Virginia 2025, which engaged over 6,000 business and community leaders to lay out a plan to getting Virginia back to the top of national business climate rankings. Learn more at www.vachamber.com.