Gateway Reporter

 Moments ago at the 2022 Virginia Health Care Conference hosted by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Governor Glenn Youngkin held a ceremonial signing for legislation that will expand access and lower the cost of health coverage for small businesses in Virginia, which accounts for over 90% of employers in the state.

Following the bill signing ceremony, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce announced the formation of the Virginia Small Business Health Alliance (VA SBHA). This alliance will bring together thousands of small businesses as one large self-funded group to spread claims risk and lower administrative costs which will result in savings for employees and their families. The bill was signed into law by Governor Youngkin in April and will go into effect on July 1, 2022.

“Since 2018, the Virginia Chamber, in partnership with Virginia’s Farm Bureau, Virginia’s Realtor community, and more than 100 local and regional chambers across the Commonwealth have advocated relentlessly for this commonsense health care solution,” said Virginia Chamber President and CEO Barry DuVal. “I am thankful for Governor Glenn Youngkin and leaders in the General Assembly, including Delegate Kathy Byron, Senator Monty Mason, Senator Siobhan Dunnavant, Delegate Chris Head, Delegate Tony Wilt, and Deputy Majority Leader Israel O’Quinn, for taking action to expand access and lower the cost of health coverage for small employers. We look forward to working with our small business community to ensure employees have greater access to health care through this valuable health insurance option.”

“This bill is a meaningful step forward to removing the barriers for our small businesses across the Commonwealth, by allowing them to come together and provide health care for their employees,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “On day one, I made a commitment to our small business community that when this bill reached my desk, I would sign it. Today, I am honored to stand with small businesses and legislators from both sides of the aisle to deliver on that promise. Virginians sent me here to go to work for them, and that is exactly what we are doing. These bills are an example of what we can accomplish when we come together for the communities we serve.”

The Virginia Chamber of Commerce also announced the recipients of the Free Enterprise Award given to members of the Virginia General Assembly for their efforts to advance legislation supporting health care for small businesses.

Free Enterprise Award Winners Include: 

Delegate Kathy Byron

Senator Siobhan Dunnavant

Delegate Chris Head

Senator Monty Mason

Delegate Tony Wilt

Additional highlights from today’s conference include:

Listed in order of appearance.

Special Remarks:

Fred Thompson, Chief Administrative Officer, Thompson Hospitality

and Chair, Virginia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors

Dr. Sunita Mishra, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Amazon Care and Chief Executive, Care Medical

The Honorable John Littel, Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources

Panel Discussion: Challenges and Opportunities in Ensuring a Robust Supply of Health Care Professionals

Moderated by: Sean Connaughton, President & CEO, Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association

Panelists:

Dr. Rina Bansal, President, Inova Alexandria Hospital

Lesley Channell, Regional Vice President, Human Resources, HCA Healthcare Capital Division

Paul Hudgins, Senior Vice President / Chief Human Resources Officer, Carilion Clinic

Barbara Larar, Chief Operating Officer, ECPI University

Jeremy Sibiski, MBA, MHA, FACHE, Chief Operating Officer, UVA School of Medicine

Panel Discussion: How Employers Can Play a Role in Addressing the Mental Health and Behavioral Health Needs of Their Workforce

Moderated by: Mason Shea, FSA, MAAA, FCA, Principal, Mercer

Panelists:

Stacey Johnson, LCSW, MBA, Executive Director, Riverside Behavioral Health Center

Dr. Christina Stasiuk, MD, Senior Medical Director, Cigna

Oleg Tarkovsky, Director of Behavioral Health Services, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

Karen Velkey, Vice President, Compensation & Benefits, Huntington Ingalls Industries

Panel Discussion: The Future of Digital Health and Innovation

Moderated by: Paige Fitzgerald, Counsel, Troutman Pepper

Panelists:

Sweeny Bansal, Vice President/General Manager, Atlantic Division – Richmond and Chesapeake, Labcorp

Tom Caudron, Director, Digital Transformation, Sentara Healthcare

Charise Johnson, Director, State Policy, PhRMA

Ajoy Ranga, Vice President, Product Engineering, ADEPT (Anthem Digital Engagement Platform Teams)

Special Remarks:

Leigh Sewell, President, Memorial Regional Medical Center & Rappahannock General Hospital

To learn more about the Virginia Small Business Health Alliance and its many advantages, please email Kenn Penn, Consultant, Affinity Benefits at kpenn@affinitybenefits.co

Original source can be found here.