AARP Virginia Advocates Fight for Prescription Drug Affordability, Nursing Home Quality and Easier Access to Home Care at General Assembly

AARP Virginia volunteers will fight for a Prescription Drug Affordability Board, improving nursing home quality and an expedited process for obtaining Medicaid approval for home care when lawmakers come to town on January 8.

AARP Virginia’s policy priorities for 2025 will support legislation addressing the rising costs of prescription drugs. AARP supports creating a Prescription Drug Affordability Board with the authority to set upper payment limits on certain high-cost prescription medications. The bill passed the General Assembly in 2024 with bipartisan support, but Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed it.

AARP Virginia State Advocacy Director Jared Calfee said recent federal measures have helped contain prescription drug costs for older adults enrolled in Medicare. Still, the skyrocketing cost of medication remains a top concern of Virginians age 50 and older. The cost of prescription drugs continues to outpace inflation. People can share their stories about the cost of their medications at aarp.org/rxva.

“We are working hard to put fairness and accountability into the system because medication only works if people can afford it,” Calfee said.

The bill is being carried by Delegate Karrie Delaney (D-Centreville).

Another issue AARP will address during the General Assembly will be nursing home quality. Nearly half of Virginia facilities hold just a 1 or 2-star rating from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), meaning they are ‘below average’ or ‘much below average’ regarding staffing and other quality measures. Forty-four percent of Virginia nursing homes had to put a hold on new admissions in 2024 due to understaffing.

AARP Virginia will ask lawmakers to support budget amendments that:

• Bolster the long-term care workforce so that facilities can recruit and retain the staff necessary to provide high-quality care
• Adequately fund medical facility inspectors to hold nursing homes accountable for meeting care standards

AARP Virginia is part of a coalition of organizations, Virginia Voices for Nursing Home Residents, that support nursing home reform. It will encourage the public to call upon lawmakers to fund these initiatives.

AARP Virginia also will fight for legislation to make it easier for families to get Medicaid coverage for home care. Home and Community-Based Services Presumptive Eligibility for Medicaid will make it easier to get coverage for home care. Currently, after applying for Medicaid for home and community-based services, Virginians sometimes must wait up to three months for final approval before they receive those services. These delays deprive people of services that they need and force many people unnecessarily into nursing homes.

The bill is being carried by Delegate Mark Sickles (D-Franconia).

By empowering the state to presume eligibility for individuals with a high probability of having their Medicaid application approved, Virginia can allow more people access to immediate care to remain in their homes and communities and age in place, bring down unnecessary nursing home admissions and save Virginia taxpayers money.

With nearly 1 million members in Virginia, AARP is the largest organization working on behalf of people age 50+ and their families in the Commonwealth. In recent years, AARP Virginia has successfully fought for Medicaid expansion, protections for older people against financial exploitation, nursing home staffing standards and empowering family caregivers.