Virginia Medicaid will host a series of virtual Town Halls this fall to inform the public about impending Medicaid changes resulting from a new federal law, the program announced in its Cardinal Care correspondence dated September 23, 2026.
The Town Halls will cover who may be affected, who may qualify for an exemption, how reporting will work, key implementation dates, and resources available to help members remain covered. Registration is required, and live attendance is limited to 1,000 participants per session. Each Town Hall will be recorded and posted online for those unable to attend live, and participants may submit questions in advance for Virginia Medicaid subject matter experts to address.
The first session, for advocates and community stakeholders, is scheduled for October 22, 2026, from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. Three general sessions open to everyone will follow on November 10, December 2, and January 15, 2027, each from 12:00pm to 1:00pm.
Separately, Virginia is working to make health care easier to reach for rural communities through the Rural Health Transformation Program. The program aims to bring care closer to home with mobile clinics and telehealth visits, train and hire more health care workers in rural areas, support prevention and wellness programs, use technology to simplify access to care, and strengthen connections between communities and providers.
"This funding is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $189,544,888.14 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS," according to the announcement.
Governor Abigail Spanberger also announced more than $6.2 million in Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) grants to help create jobs, support businesses, and expand training opportunities across the Commonwealth. The funding will bring nearly $23 million in additional support from local partners, schools, and employers. Projects include helping small businesses use new technology such as artificial intelligence, expanding job training for shipbuilding, transportation, and logistics careers, and upgrading manufacturing training equipment.
The Governor additionally announced the rollout of new Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards with chip-and-tap technology to prevent fraud and protect Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from theft. Virginia is among the first states to adopt the enhanced security technology. Households do not need to take any action to receive a new card, and benefits will continue without interruption during the transition. All Virginia EBT cardholders are expected to receive their new cards by the end of December 2026.
The newsletter also marked National Cholesterol Education Month, noting that updated guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association emphasize starting cholesterol management earlier in life, lowering "bad" cholesterol, and knowing overall health risks for heart attacks and strokes.