For Immediate Release
September 8, 2027
Contact: Rachel Rees, VHCF CEO
Virginia Health Care Foundation
(804) 828-5804
rrees@vhcf.org
Virginia Health Care Foundation Expands Medicaid Outreach and Enrollment Programs
to Meet New Federal Requirements
RICHMOND, Va. — With additional funding support from the General Assembly and the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS), the Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF) is expanding its signature Medicaid outreach and enrollment programs to help Virginians navigate upcoming Medicaid impacts. H.R. 1, a new federal law, will bring broad changes to Medicaid eligibility and enrollment requirements beginning in 2027, including new work requirements. Together with its partners, VHCF is stepping up to help Virginians understand the new rules and stay covered.
For nearly 30 years, VHCF has partnered with DMAS on statewide Medicaid outreach and enrollment through Project Connect, a statewide network providing Medicaid application assistance, and SignUpNow (SUN), a comprehensive Medicaid training program. Together, these initiatives have directly enrolled nearly 170,000 Virginians in Medicaid and trained more than 20,000 people statewide, a track record that positions VHCF to respond quickly as the federal changes take effect.
“These federal changes will make it harder for some Virginians to keep their Medicaid coverage,” said Secretary of Health and Human Resources Marvin B. Figueroa. “Our job is to make sure people understand what is changing, what they need to do, and where they can get help. Partnerships like this one with the Virginia Health Care Foundation will help us reach people where they are and help keep eligible Virginians from losing coverage because of paperwork or confusion.”
“These federal changes are complex, and Virginians will need assistance with navigating them to keep their Medicaid coverage,” added DMAS Director Steve Ford. “Our longstanding partnership with VHCF and their Project Connect network gives Virginians a trusted, local resource to turn to, so they can keep the coverage they rely on.”
“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to expand our outreach and training efforts,” said Rachel Rees, Chief Executive Officer of VHCF. “We’re grateful to our state, legislative, and community partners for working alongside us to help eligible Virginians stay covered as these federal changes take effect.”
To prepare for the new requirements, VHCF is expanding its existing training efforts with a new 90-minute virtual workshop to make Medicaid and the new federal changes understandable for a broad audience – from frontline staff providing one-on-one assistance to organizational leadership planning for the broader impacts. Participants will gain a better understanding of what’s changing and resources to support Virginians in staying covered. Registration for the SUNLight training workshop is now open.
VHCF is also expanding Project Connect to increase the number of people available to provide Medicaid application assistance by early 2027. To identify partner organizations able to offer this expanded onsite assistance, VHCF has released a Request for Applications (RFA), with grant proposals due Thursday, October 15. The new grants build on the long-term success of Project Connect and will help more Virginians understand and navigate required applications, renewals, and paperwork, so they can stay connected to coverage and care. All RFA materials and submission instructions are available on VHCF’s website.
About the Virginia Health Care Foundation
The Virginia Health Care Foundation is a non-profit public/private partnership with a mission to increase access to primary health care for uninsured and medically underserved Virginians. The Foundation was initiated by the General Assembly and its Joint Commission on Health Care in 1992. Since its inception, VHCF has helped more than 950,000 uninsured and medically underserved Virginians obtain the health care they need.
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