Affordable, accessible healthcare keeps people healthy and able to work, which is why I am working to protect Medicaid for low-income individuals by running for Congress in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District. Our current Representative recently made two claims that deserve closer scrutiny. See the Henrico Citizen July 16, 2025 article, “Wittman says ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ will make no significant cuts to Medicaid and Medicare services in his district.”
First, Rep. Wittman insists there are “no cuts” to Medicaid, suggesting that new work requirements simply ensure able-bodied individuals work in exchange for benefits. This may sound reasonable, but in practice, it creates bureaucratic hurdles that disproportionately affect low-income individuals juggling unstable jobs and transportation barriers. By some estimates, hundreds of thousands of Virginians will lose Medicaid coverage as a result of these new requirements and administrative burdens. That is a significant cut in Medicaid coverage. Further, withholding Medicaid benefits to incentivize people to work ignores the reality that people do not live on healthcare benefits. Medicaid recipients are incentivized to work to afford food, housing, transportation, and other essentials. Providing people with healthcare keeps them healthy and out of medical debt, enabling them to work and pursue education and job training that can lead to better-paying jobs—ultimately reducing reliance on Medicaid and increasing future tax revenue.
Second, Rep. Wittman points to the bill’s $50 billion in rural hospital funding as a solution to concerns about the impact of the bill’s healthcare spending cuts on rural hospitals. But this funding is less than half of the bill’s projected impact on rural hospitals. With many rural hospitals already operating in the red, the rural hospital funding program is not enough to prevent closures or service reductions. Numerous rural hospitals and primary care clinics in Virginia, including some in the 1st Congressional District, are at risk of closure and significant job cuts. When local providers close or cut staff and services, the increased travel time for rural residents seeking healthcare will reduce their work hours and they may forego care altogether making them less healthy and less able to work.
In sum, the “Big, Beautiful Bill” will have long-term negative consequences for healthcare access and economic stability in Virginia. I am running for Congress because we deserve a leader who cares about the health, wellbeing, and economic prosperity of all Virginians.
Sincerely,
Mel Tull
Candidate for Congress
Virginia’s 1st Congressional District
