“Are payday loans ruining your life? Do you have more payday loans than you’re able to pay back right now? If you have two or more payday cash advance loans, listen closely…call Payday Loan Debt Relief.” NO!  Don’t call them.  They will take your money and run..leaving you in worse shape.  This according to the […]

By Natasha Evans, CHEP Coordinator On February 16, 2015, Central Virginia and other parts of the state were hit with their first big snow storm of the season. As schools and businesses closed in anticipation of the weather, just one day before on February 15, Enroll Virginia with its team of healthcare navigators, in-person assisters […]

By Patrick Wilson, The Virginian-Pilot A coalition for activist groups want state legislators to be more transparent in how they review issues. Transparency Virginia, a coalition of about 20 groups that includes the League of Women Voters of Virginia, the Virginia Poverty Law Center, ACLU, Sierra Club, Virginia AARP and the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, issued […]

By Susan Ladika, creditcards.com As consumers move their financial activities online, applying online for a payday loan may seem like the natural thing for a cash-strapped person to do. But you could be setting yourself up for a world of hurt, from paying exorbitant interest rates to having funds swiped from your bank account to […]

The following is a guest blog post by a VPLC intern: The Virginia legislative process is meant to be transparent. In reaching the goal of transparency during the General Assembly, all meetings listed on the docket are open to the public. So, any member of the public may attend a floor hearing or debate, go […]

By Dan Heyman, Public News Service- VA By choosing not to expand Medicaid, health policy and budget analysts say the General Assembly has put the state in the position of paying more to get less. Virginia lawmakers are expected to fund more than $120 million to provide health coverage for about 50,000 additional state residents. […]

By Tammie Smith, Richmond Times-Dispatch Virginia legislators are considering a bill that would require hospitals to notify patients when their hospital stay is being classified as outpatient observation versus an inpatient admission — a distinction that can affect insurance coverage. Senate Bill 750, carried by Sen. Richard H. Black, R-Loudoun, and others, would require hospitals […]

This week, we are highlighting how some of our budget priorities played out in the House and Senate budget bills, both of which were released on February 8. Health Care: We were deeply disappointed in the members of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance committees for their refusal to include the federal funding available to […]

  This week, we want to highlight legislation we worked on at this year’s General Assembly that impact Virginia’s service members and veterans.  We had one success and three setbacks.  We call them setbacks because we will continue to work on these initiatives. First, the success.  A Bill was introduced in the House of Delegate […]

By Dan Heyman, Public News Service- VA RICHMOND, Va. – More Virginia students are getting breakfast in school, according to a new report, and hunger-fighting advocates say the state can do more to help boost learning. According to the Food Research and Action Center, more of the kids who need it are gaining access to […]

Virginians only have 4 days left to get covered through HealthCare.gov before open enrollment ends this Sunday on February 15th. More than 329,000 Virginians have already signed up for coverage and the vast majority of them have qualified for financial help with their premiums. Virginians who signed up are receiving an average of $260 per […]

By Prue Salasky, Daily Press The drive to enroll the uninsured in Virginia in health coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace, healthcare.gov, has hit high gear in the days before the Feb. 15 deadline for 2015 coverage. In addition to the in-person help offered by navigators and application counselors at community health centers and […]

Thanks to the advocacy work of VPLC and many others, the House of Delegates budget includes additional funding at $500,000 for the Public Guardianship Program. The Virginia Public Guardianship Program is a program of last resort for indigent adults who are incapacitated and in need of someone to help them make medical, financial, and daily […]

The annual national school breakfast report released today by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) finds that 221,414 low-income children in Virginia participated in school breakfast on an average day during the 2013-2014 School Year, an increase of 5,000 from the previous year. “This is a step in the right direction,” said Virginia Hunger […]

We are in the thick of the General Assembly Session, still following plenty of Bills and making sure we are speaking up for low-income Virginians.  Some highlights from the last few days: It seems that year after year, legislators want to impose some type of drug screening on those who participate in certain public benefits […]

  We are at a critical point now in our efforts to expand Virginia’s Medicaid program to cover up to 400,000 low income adults who have income below 138% of the federal poverty line. (e.g. $16, 243 /yr for an individual; $33,465/yr for a family of 4). This is our 3rd year trying to secure […]

  The following is a guest blog post by Dwain Alexander, II, Esq.: The best thing about America is the freedoms we share.  But our freedoms come at a cost that must be borne by all.  One of those costs is the deference provided a servicemember facing a law suit.  When the servicemember is not […]