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Attorney General of Virginia

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Defending Virginians Healthcare

In order to protect Virginians’ healthcare, Attorney General Herring intervened to defend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in a lawsuit that could potentially eliminate the ACA and remove protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions. Attorney General Herring intervened in the lawsuit after President Trump announced that he would not defend the ACA and joined with Republican state attorneys general in trying to strike down the law. When a district court judge in Texas issued a decision in December 2018 finding the ACA to be unconstitutional, Attorney General Herring and his colleagues immediately appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

 

“This politically motivated lawsuit has forced Americans to live in the constant fear that their healthcare could be ripped away from them at any time, driving up healthcare costs for everyone, and taking away all protections for preexisting conditions,” said Attorney General Herring. “Millions of Virginians rely on the Affordable Care Act for quality, affordable healthcare and I will not stop fighting to protect their healthcare from these reckless, dangerous attacks.”

 

If you believe you have been unfairly denied coverage, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 804-786-2071.

 

If the Trump Administration and its allies are successful in eliminating the ACA:

  • 642,000 Virginians could lose their health coverage, leading to a 96% increase in the uninsured rate in the Commonwealth
  • The 3,441,400 Virginians who have pre-existing conditions would lose their protections and insurance companies would be able to deny or drop coverage and charge more for those pre-existing conditions
  • 289,081 Virginians in the marketplace would have to pay more for their coverage
  • 109,517 Virginia seniors could have to pay more for their prescription drugs
  • Insurance companies would be allowed to discriminate against women by charging them higher premiums
  • $1.15 billion in tax credits that helped 335,000 Virginians afford insurance in 2017 would be ended
  • Funding from our nation’s public health system would be stripped, including work to combat the opioid epidemic
  • Billions in federal aid for health care would be stripped, including $458 million in FY 2019 and $1.9 billion in FY 2020

 

Striking down the Affordable Care Act would affect nearly every American, including:

  • 133 million Americans, including 17 million kids, with preexisting health conditions
  • Young adults under 26 years of age, who are covered under a parent’s health plan
  • More than 12 million Americans who received coverage through Medicaid expansion
  • 12 million seniors who receive a Medicare benefit to afford prescription drugs
  • Working families who rely on tax credits and employer-sponsored plans to afford insurance

 

Press Releases:

April 9, 2018 – Attorney General Herring Defends Virginians’ Healthcare against Latest Legal Attack

June 8, 2018 – Attorney General Herring Steps in to Defend the Affordable Care Act and Virginians’ Healthcare

December 15, 2018 – Statement of Attorney General Mark Herring on a Texas Federal District Court Ruling that Found the Affordable Care Act Unconstitutional

December 17, 2018 – Attorney General Herring Files Motion to Prevent Harm, Protect the Aca, and Defend Americans with Preexisting Conditions

 

July 9, 2019 – Attorney General Herring Continues to Defend Virginians’ Healthcare against Trump Administration’s Dangerous Lawsuit

March 25, 2019 - Attorney General Herring Continues to Defend the Affordable Care Act in Court

January 3, 2020 – Attorney General Herring Asks Supreme Court to Review ACA Repeal Case

March 2, 2020 – Attorney General Herring Vows to Fight for Virginians’ Health Care in Supreme Court

March 23, 2020 – Attorney General Herring Continues to Defend Virginians’ Healthcare, Affordable Care Act

May 6, 2020 - Attorney General Herring Continues Fight for Virginian’s Healthcare in Supreme Court

 

For more information about Attorney General Herring's work to protect the Affordable Care Act and Virginians' healthcare, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

 

 

 

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National Crime Victims’ Rights Week – April 18 – April 24

2021 "Unsung Heroes" Awards

The Office of the Attorney General observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year with its Unsung Heroes awards ceremony, recognizing outstanding service and support to victims of crime in the Commonwealth. Attorney General Herring established these awards in 2017 to acknowledge those individuals across the state working tirelessly to aid victims in their recovery and healing, promote trauma-informed responses, challenge permissive or dismissive attitudes towards victims' issues, and affect change.

 

Across the state, there are individuals doing critical, life-saving work with and on behalf of crime victims, work that often goes unrecognized. Virginia's “Unsung Heroes" serve victims in many capacities: as officers responding to service calls, as advocates helping victims navigate the court system, as volunteers answering hotline calls, as survivors telling their stories so that others feel less alone. Attorney General Herring honors selected individuals, nominated by their peers, each April.

 

The 2021 Unsung Heroes awards will be held virtually on Wednesday, April 21st at 11 am.

 

For more information or to RSVP, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The link to the ceremony will be emailed to attendees the morning of the program.

 

 

 

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Saving Lives and Addressing the Heroin/Opioid Epidemic

~ Enforcement, Education, Prevention ~

Attorney General Herring has made combating the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic a top priority, attacking the problem with a multifaceted approach that includes enforcement, education, prevention, and legislation to expand the availability of naloxone, encourage reporting of overdoses in progress, and expand access to the Prescription Monitoring Program.

He has also:

Attorney General Herring has been working on this problem since his first days in office, launching a comprehensive strategy in his first year in office:

HERRING LAUNCHES HEROIN AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE STRATEGY

~ Statewide spike in fatalities prompts five-part action plan ~

ROANOKE(September 8, 2014)--Attorney General Mark R. Herring today announced a series of initiatives to combat a recent rise in fatal overdoses of heroin and prescription opiates. Legislative, prosecutorial, and educational efforts will complement and build on the efforts of other state, local, and federal agencies to fight abuse of prescription drugs and heroin. During Attorney General Herring's public safety tour in March, the spike in abuse of and fatalities caused by heroin and prescription drugs was discussed at more than 75% of the tour's 22 meetings. Herring announced his five-part action plan during remarks at the annual conference of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police in Roanoke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Image of the words No Hate VA with the Attorney General of Virginia's seal as the letter 'O'NOHATEVA

COVID-19 and the Rise of Anti-Asian Hate

A message from Attorney General Mark Herring on the rise of anti-Asian hate

This rise in violence and hate against Asian Americans must stop. It has been fueled by the hateful anti-Asian rhetoric that has plagued our country over the past year, at times even coming from the highest office in the country.

 

This kind of violence is meant to spread fear into the heart of vulnerable communities. To make our friends, neighbors, and family members feel like they are different, or unwelcome.

 

We cannot stand by and allow it to continue to happen.

 

We must make it clear that we are ALL Virginians, and we are ALL part of our Virginia family, no matter what you look like, where you come from, how you worship, or who you love.

 

I stand with the AAPI community and I will continue to do everything in my power to protect them and put a stop to this hate and violence.

AG Herring's signature

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a frightening and unacceptable rise in incidents of hate, bigotry, abuse, and even violence targeted at members of the Asian-American Pacific Islander community.

 

According to Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition dedicated to documenting and stopping anti-Asian hate and discrimination, nearly 3,800 incidents of hate, abuse, and discrimination against Asian Americans have been reported since March 2020, though the true number is likely higher, as incidents of hate, abuse, and discrimination are often underreported.

 

If you, your family, or someone in your community experiences or witness an act of anti-Asian hate or discrimination, please call 911 and report the incident as soon as it is safe to do so.

 

Additionally, please report the incident to Stop AAPI Hate, which is compiling a national database of documented incidents of hate, abuse, or discrimination, as well as your local FBI office. To find your local office, click here: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field, or complete the online form found here: https://tips.fbi.gov/.

 

You should also preserve any evidence you have of the alleged hate crime by taking pictures of vandalism, keeping copies of any videos taken, noting witnesses, descriptions of the offenders, their vehicles, etc. This information and evidence should be shared with the law enforcement officials investigating the crime you have reported.

 

Stop AAPI Hate has also prepared the following safety tips for those who experience or witness incidents of anti-Asian hate or discrimination. Their resources are available in multiple languages.  

 

5 Things to Consider When Experiencing Hate

1. Safety First: Trust your instincts and assess your surroundings. If you feel unsafe and you are able to, leave the area.

2. Stay Calm: Take a deep breath, limit eye-contact, and maintain neutral body language.

3. Speak Out (If you can do so safely): In a calm and firm voice establish physical boundaries, and denounce their behavior and comments.

4. Seek Immediate Support: Ask bystanders for support or intervention.

5. Seek Emotional Support: Once you feel safe, take time to recover and reach out to someone to talk about what happened. Remember this is not your fault, and you are not alone.

 

5 Ways to Help If You Witness Hate

1. Take Action: Approach the targeted person, introduce yourself, and offer support.

2. Actively Listen: Ask before taking any actions and respect the targeted person’s wishes. Monitor the situation if needed.

3. Ignore Attacker: Using your discretion, attempt to calm the situation by using your voice, body language, or distractions.

4. Accompany: If the situation escalates, invite the targeted person to join you in leaving.

5. Offer Emotional Support: Help the targeted person by asking how they’re feeling. Assist them in figuring out what they want to do next.

 

 

 

 

 

Subcategories

Community Outreach

Domestic Violence