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Upcoming Events and Deadlines

The Mental Health Roundtable is tomorrow!


The Winter Mental Health Roundtable will take place on Tuesday, January 28 from 11 am – 1 pm. Join us for an overview of mental health-related legislation and budget items, a presentation from Dr. Adrienne Wood from UVA’s Emotion and Behavior Lab on the causes and consequences of loneliness and social disconnect, and a series of Quick Takes (mini-presentations to introduce you to innovative programs addressing youth mental health and social connection across the state). Register today!

 

You won't want to miss February's Tooth Talk Roundtable! 


Please join us for the next Tooth Talk Roundtable on Monday, February 10 from 12 pm - 1:30 pm. We’ve got a very full agenda to share with you! We will hear updates from our partners at Delta Dental, DentaQuest, and Virginia Health Catalyst. Howard University's College of Dentistry will share information about their program, clinical practice opportunities for their students, and best practices for recruiting their graduates. Dr. Scott Miller and Rachel Helton from Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center will highlight the impact their new in-house lab (pictured below with AHCDC's residents) is having on their patients’ access to affordable dentures, bridges, and crowns, as well as potential opportunities for collaboration. Register today. We can’t wait to see you!

Do you know a health professional who needs some relief from student loans?


Virginia’s Student Loan Repayment Program started accepting applications on January 9. The program, which is administered by the Virginia Department of Health-Office of Health Equity, provides awards to qualified medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmaceutical professionals in return for a minimum of two years of service at an eligible site in a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area in Virginia. Visit the VDH website to learn more and apply online. The application cycle will close March 31, 2025.

Virginia also established a Virginia Behavioral Health Loan Repayment Program three years ago to help retain and recruit behavioral health professionals to provide counseling and treatment in underserved areas of the Commonwealth or to underserved populations. Visit the VDH website to learn more or apply online. The application cycle started on October 15, 2024 and will close April 15, 2025.

News and Announcements

The 2025 General Assembly Session is underway!


The 2025 Session is a short one – with lots going on! VHCF is tracking items that would impact Virginians who are uninsured, Medicaid eligible/enrolled, or underserved. Here are some of our favorite Session tools to help you follow along. We’ve compiled a list of useful links and resources to help you identify and track the legislation in which you are interested. Some also include specifics to help you advocate for key issues, your organization and communities.


  •  Click here for a list of upcoming 2025 General Assembly Session important dates! And click here for the daily Session calendar, which includes key meeting details (agendas, links to stream meetings and meeting recordings).
  • Governor Youngkin unveiled his proposed budget on December 18. Read the full proposed budget bill and the Commonwealth Institute’s summary of it here.
  • Use the Legislative Information System (LIS), streamlined and with new functionality for 2025, to search for and track the status of bills, budget amendments, and resolutions. Visit the LIS Learning Center to get acquainted with the new system. 
  • If you want to track a specific bill as it goes through the GA process and receive emails at key milestones, consider signing up for the free Lobbyist-in-a-Box.
  • Curious about the state budget process? The Commonwealth Institute has put together a helpful summary and graphic. This slide deck from the Senate Finance Committee provides more details. 
  • Headed to Richmond to advocate? Download Virginia Public Access Project’s (VPAP) app, updated for 2025, to find legislator’s offices in the new GA building with ease and more.


Announcing New VHCF Health Access Grants

The Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF) has awarded more than $824,000 in grants to 11 organizations throughout the state to increase access to behavioral health, medical and dental services for uninsured and medically underserved Virginians. See the full list of grantees and initiatives awarded here!


Health coverage options for 2025


While Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment Period has ended for 2025, there are lots of life circumstances and events that allow people to enroll in Marketplace coverage outside of Open Enrollment, such as a marriage or divorce, loss of other health coverage, or a move. A full list of these “Special Enrollment Periods,” which typically last for 60 days after the change in circumstances or life event, can be found here. Extra financial help is still available for 2025, meaning many people qualify for free or very low-cost coverage through the Marketplace. 


There is also an extra-Special Enrollment Period still in effect for Virginians who lose their Medicaid/FAMIS coverage due to no longer being eligible (e.g., their income increased above the Medicaid/FAMIS limits). They can shop on the Marketplace anytime through June 30, 2025. Starting July 1, 2025, Virginians losing Medicaid/FAMIS coverage can qualify for coverage on the Marketplace for up to 90 days after their coverage loss.


And don’t forget: Virginians can apply for/enroll in Medicaid/FAMIS 365 days a year! They are not required to enroll within a specific time window.


What We're Reading


  • The Anti-Social Century - "Self-imposed solitude might just be the most important social fact of the 21st century in America." Robert Putnam sounded the alarm about the decline of social capital 25 years ago in Bowling Alone, but the trend towards solitude continues. "And the consequences are far-reaching - for our happiness, our communities, our politics, and even our sense of reality."



  • Congress Extends Telehealth Flexibilities for Medicare Beneficiaries until March 31, 2025 - These flexibilities include receiving telehealth services from any location (including their homes), extends the waiver of the requirement for an initial in-person visit prior to a telemental health visit, and continues the extension of telehealth services to federally-qualified health centers and rural health centers.

Additional Resources

  • The Behavioral Health Hub listserv is a venue for the behavioral health community to share new resources, tips, and opportunities related to the delivery of behavioral health services. Emails are typically sent 1-2 times per week, and listserv members are invited and encouraged to actively share the things they are working on and any challenges they are facing. With 1,000 members from all regions of Virginia and a wide variety of organizations, the Hub is a great way to stay connected and updated on the latest news and trends in behavioral health. Subscribe here.


  • Tooth Talk is a community forum that connects Virginia’s dental safety net providers. This listserv is a mechanism for providers to learn about new resources and grants, to pose and answer questions about providing dental care to the uninsured and keep up-to-date on important issues. Subscribe here.


  • Want to hone the skills or expand the knowledge of your team or yourself? VHCF offers up to $650 per organization per year to pay for professional development. In addition, up to $3,500 is available every three years to underwrite the development of a new strategic plan. Contact Andrea or Tessa to learn more about both of these funding opportunities.


  • VHCF currently offers two different virtual SignUpNow trainings. One covers the “ins and outs” of eligibility requirements, application procedures, and post-enrollment information for Virginia’s Medicaid/FAMIS programs for children, adults, and families. SignUpNow ABD workshops cover information for Virginia’s Aged, Blind, or Disabled (ABD) Medicaid-covered groups. Learn more about both trainings and upcoming dates here.


  • Upcoming virtual trainings for both new and experienced users on how to use The Pharmacy Connection (TPC) are scheduled throughout 2024. For more information or to register for a training, click here.



  • Does your organization have any innovative programs or creative solutions to share? We'd love to hear from you so we can help share it with others. Please contact Andrea or Tessa with your stories!
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