GOVERNOR'S VETO

GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 2411, which would undo provisions passed by the General Assembly since 2011, to bring the laws of the Commonwealth into conformity with requirements of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The PPACA has improved health care access for thousands of Virginians. Nearly 400,000 Virginians have been able to purchase health insurance through the federal Marketplace, and more than 80 percent of them have received federal tax subsidies to help them pay for it.

The PPACA included a long list of other provisions that have helped Virginians access physical and behavioral health care.

Congressional action to repeal the PPACA has not yet taken place, and its future is uncertain. Congressional proposals to replace the PPACA with alternative health legislation have so far yielded mixed reaction among lawmakers, including many Republicans, and near universal opposition from doctors, hospitals and numerous advocacy groups.

It is premature to sign such legislation, given the uncertainty at the federal level and the ongoing need for better access to health care that exists in Virginia.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.