Session 2021 – Day 8

January 22, 2021

I never been a big fan of “hurry up and wait,” but a lot of what we are doing these days seems to be just that.  I have attached here the presentation made today at the House Appropriations Committee by Dr. Danny Avula, the new Virginia Vaccine Coordinator.  He comes with great credentials from the Richmond/Henrico Area Health Department and, in combination with the new (and clearly more focused) administration in Washington, we hope that the vaccine distribution systems will become more consistent and reliable!

For the rest of the Session, it seems like we are finally picking up some steam. Bills must move through the chamber in which they are introduced and “cross-over” by 6 February.  We do not have much to report. Many of the most critical bills on our watch list will come up next week.  We’ll keep you posted!

Amendments for the budget have been released for both the House and the Senate; as you might expect, there are a variety (some duplicates and some conflicting); most involve the commitment of funds and will be prioritized as the process continues. 

In addition to the Session, we are focusing on the HCBS Reviews, the QSR Reviews, BH “Enhancement” and keeping abreast of the distribution of COVID Relief funds.  We have some indication that some payments of the funding for Day Support and/or Residential being processed by DMAS are beginning to happen.  There are some negotiations still going on, but providers will be notified when they are approved and funds will be released.