Virginians Advocating for Seniors Commends Speaker Scott, Chair Torian and House Leadership for Release of Updated Budget Proposal

Press Release

RICHMOND, Va. —  Last week, Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott (D-Portsmouth) joined House Appropriations Committee Chairman Luke Torian (D-Prince William) and a bipartisan group of leading members of the chamber to announce the budget proposal they intend to consider when they return to Richmond on June 18^th. Virginians Advocating for Seniors (VAFS), an association representing more than half of the Commonwealth’s nursing homes that care for older Virginians with complex medical, behavioral health, and long-term care needs, issued the following statement:

"We thank Speaker Scott, Chair Torian, and House leadership for putting our seniors and their families first. The House proposed budget will strengthen our ability to provide high-quality care to all our residents. As House leaders work towards a biennial budget with the Virgina State Senate, we thank them for keeping our seniors, providers, and staff in mind. We also deeply appreciate Governor Spanberger’s leadership in working with the General Assembly towards delivering a budget this month that works for all Virginians in long-term care."

VAFS’s comprehensive policy agenda reflects a bipartisan approach to addressing systemic friction points that affect residents, families, and providers. VAFS emphasizes that nursing home policy decisions — while often technical — carry deeply personal consequences for older Virginians and their families.

VAFS's policy agenda includes:

• Stable and adequate Medicaid funding that reflects resident needs. Virginia’s reimbursement system should recognize the real cost of caring for high-acuity residents, rely on a predictable, evidence-based methodology, include annual inflation adjustments, and provide a thoughtful approach to behavioral health services.

• Quality payment programs that reward better care. Value-based purchasing should measure residents’ needs holistically, reward both improvement and sustained performance, and provide appropriate incentives that focus on clinical care over regulatory processes.

• Workforce policies grounded in reality. Staffing policy should account for labor shortages, diverse care teams, retention incentives, and reduced reliance on agency staffing.

• Consistent, collaborative oversight. Surveys should incentivize quality improvements, promote education and training for facility staff, and reduce arbitrary oversight. Eligibility determinations, managed care audits, and regulatory oversight should be transparent, consistent, and oriented toward timely access and sustained quality improvement.

VAFS works collaboratively with state leaders, regulators, and community partners to identify where systems create friction and bring practical solutions grounded in the realities of long-term care. The organization believes Virginia can pair strong accountability with a fair, reliable system that helps facilities invest in quality care and keeps access available for those who need it.

About Virginians Advocating for Seniors

Virginians Advocating for Seniors (VAFS) represents more than half of the Commonwealth’s nursing homes that care for older Virginians with complex medical, behavioral health, and long-term care needs. VAFS believes that policymakers should pair strong accountability with more flexibility and predictability, creating a system that allows facilities to invest in people, stabilize operations, and keep access available for those who need care close to home.