Virginia lawmakers have an opportunity right now to expand health care access for thousands of Virginians. Greater access to health care promotes a healthier Virginia, both physically and economically. While all sectors including businesses, hospitals and currently insured can benefit, it is consumer livelihood that is literally at stake. For thousands of Virginians, closing the coverage gap is the difference between just barely getting by and the opportunity to get ahead. Virginians cannot accept further delay. We urge the House of Delegates to provide coverage without delay to the 200,000 Virginians who fall in the coverage gap and create 30,000 new jobs. Let’s get our families the care they need and our seniors the care they’ve earned.

The state of Louisiana is considering a budget that would eliminate all Hospice care to people covered by Medicaid and ending a program that largely uses federal welfare dollars to provide unique mental health treatment to very young children. More than 5,800 people received Hospice care through Medicaid in 2012. Eliminating the Early Childhood Supports and Services program will save the state only $134,000 for a program which receives a $2.7 million federal match.

Cut back the defense budget where we spend billions to kill children in other countries.... especially third world countries..and use that to help mentall ill patients here in the US.

Instead of focusing on access to firearms, we should be concerned with the help that is available to the mentally ill, in our sorrow over the shootings in Connecticut.

With school funding decreasing and staff cuts on the rise, school counselor's are one of the first positions being cut. School counselor's are being cut to 2-3 days or to none at all. One of the roles a school counselor has is to teach specials while teachers have their planning time. With up to 8 hours a week teaching, and other administrative work, part time doesn't allow for the time needed to meet with the students to address their social and emotional concerns. With the recent tragedies, obvious mental health counselor's are needed at all levels of education. Student's go through divorce, bullying, abuse, neglect, substance abuse (and the list goes on). They often don't know how to explain what they are feeling. This is just one of the area's school counselors are available for. Federal funding for school counselor's can help all students in their social and emotional health.

Guns Are Blamed, but What About Prescription Drugs? Prozac: Warning Labels and Side Effects Moira Dolan, M.D., Medical Accountability Network. Likely due to pressure from the pharmaceutical industry-heavy advertisers in all media-the national debate on the epidemic of teen violence has ignored the widespread use of prescription drugs in teens and particularly those who have committed monstrous acts. However, the drug-violence link is frighteningly common. Fifteen-year-old Shawn Cooper of Notus, Idaho, fired a shotgun at students and school staff. According to his stepfather, he had been taking an SSRI. Thirteen-year-old Chris Fetters of Iowa killed her favorite aunt. She was taking Prozac. Kip Kinkel, a 15-year-old youth, went on a rampage in Oregon. He first shot and killed his parents, spent the night with the bodies (characteristic of the dissociative reaction these drugs often cause), then killed two and wounded 22 of his fellow students at Thurston High School. He was taking Prozac. This is just a small sample and doesn't include adults.

Everyone should be entitled to counseling/therapy. I have good health insurance coverage by a top provider in my state. I recently experienced a very grief stricken and painful divorce. I sought out a therapist's help, but a few days after attending the session was told my health insurance would not cover it and was charged $80. I am a college graduate with an average household income, but as a newly single parent and debt from the marriage and divorce I could not afford to continue. I have managed through faith and family, but some people don't have that. And even if they do....they could be doing a lot better. Not everyone has someone to talk to. Just think if insurance covered therapy...there could be less divorce, less grief, less suffering, less isolation. And maybe, just maybe less violence like we saw at Sandy Hook Elementary. Mental health is just as important as going to the dentist or getting a physical. It impacts all aspects of our bodies, lives and affects others. As a country we should take care of our people and everyone should have access to professional help.

Help put an end to this prohibition on marijuana, sign this petition and make a difference

Supporting having the conversations about issues & concerns that impact our culture, our society and our lives and how to implement an action plan addressing the core issues, concerns & various problems that exists in our society today. Giving millions of people in America an opportunity to voice their concerns; share their thoughts, feelings, experiences & share their ideas regarding possible solutions and how this would impact our culture & society overall.

In the wake of the Newton Connecticut Massacre,it is my opinion that the general public needs to be more informed about mental health. My oldest brother (now deceased) was mentally ill,he was ostracised because of this. He has been deceased for 41 years. There have been great strides made in this area since then. However,maybe greater awarness may have stopped the tragedy in Newton from happening.

Like many seniors, I'm now in the "donut hole", meaning I pay full price for my medications. If Medicare used its huge purchasing power to negotiate lower drug costs (the VA pays 40% less for drugs), many seniors would escape this very expensive situation.

GMO's are now an almost mainstream topic, as it should be. President Obama while campaigning, stated he was for GMO labeling, and now has ducked away from this issue. The issue of GMO's is of far greater importance to every human than all the other distracting subjects debated to exhaustion, everyday by the media in the United States. What is more important than knowing; what is in our foods and what our President's opinion is on this?