Access to Healthcare

Senator Favola has worked tirelessly to make healthcare more affordable and accessible. She believes that every Virginian deserves access to quality, affordable healthcare, including reproductive care, preventive care, and mental health services.

In 2020, Senator Favola negotiated and passed landmark legislation to end surprise medical billing in Virginia, which became a model for federal law. Her legislation ensures that patients are not left with hospital or medical bills that their insurance plans do not cover when they seek emergency medical care at an out-of-network hospital or receive certain treatment from out-of-network providers at an in-network facility. This critical protection gives patients more confidence that they can access medical care without accumulating unmanageable medical debt.

Senator Favola has also focused on coverage for preventive care, which is critical to ensuring that people live longer and healthier lives. She passed legislation enshrining federal Affordable Care Act protections into state law, ensuring that Virginia health plans will cover preventive care services even if there is an erosion of this benefit at the federal level.

Senator Favola has increased access to mental health services, especially in places where our young people and others are receiving other services such as schools, pediatricians’ offices, and other doctors’ offices. She also passed a number of laws that provide checks on the quality of care provided in state psychiatric facilities, licensed group homes, and recovery homes.

Senator Favola has worked to ensure that healthcare is accessible to every Virginian, regardless of their citizenship status. She passed a law to eliminate the requirement that state mental health facilities determine and report the immigration status of patients upon admission. She also has advocated for and will continue to fight to pass the “Cover All Kids” law, which would provide healthcare for all children in Virginia, regardless of immigration status.

Senator Favola chairs the Health Subcommittee in the Senate and serves on the Joint Commission on Health Care and the Behavioral Health Commission. She is also the chair of the Senate Women’s Healthcare Caucus. Senator Favola was endorsed by the Committee to Protect Healthcare in her 2023 election, and was awarded a Legislative Champion Award by the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association.