WV MetroNews - Eighteen state attorneys general and the U.S. Department of Justice have filed their opening briefs in the legal challenge to former President Barack Obama’s health care law with the U.S. Supreme Court. Read full article here. The briefs filed Thursday argue the law is no longer constitutional because Congress zeroed out the individual mandate penalty for…
Health
Trump Administration and Morrisey lawsuit would end health coverage for more than 162,000 West Virginians For Immediate Release: June 25, 2020 Contact: Kelly Allen, 304-612-4180 or Jessica Ice, 304-322-0074 Charleston, WV - Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting major recession, the Trump Administration and 18 state attorneys general, including West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, plan to file briefs…
The cost of prescription drugs is one of the leading health care issues in the United States, accounting for $335 billion of total health care spending in 2018 [1] and over 23 percent of total health insurance premium costs.[2] And the cost of prescription drugs is rising. The cost of prescription drugs is one of…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - Around the country, states are seeing dramatic increases in Medicaid enrollment as furloughed workers and their dependents lose their job-based health insurance and turn to Medicaid for coverage during the coronavirus pandemic. Read op-ed. Since March, West Virginia has seen an increase in Medicaid enrollment of approximately 24,000 people, but that is…
A few weeks ago we began raising alarms about the likelihood of a sharp increase in the number of uninsured West Virginians. Over the past eight weeks, 143,000 West Virginians have filed unemployment claims due to job loss and, as we know, most working Americans get their health coverage through their employer. That means that…
Social distancing, closing of nonessential businesses, and stay at home orders have all helped protect lives in West Virginia. But they have also led to record job losses and increasing hardship as people struggle to make ends meet. The restrictions on economic activity that are currently protecting us will eventually be lifted, but the economy…
Much of the conversation on record job losses in West Virginia over the past five weeks has centered on our state’s unemployment insurance system, and with good reason. According to Governor Justice and WorkForce WV, at least 130,000 residents have filed initial unemployment claims since school closures and stay-at-home orders began, and that figure does…
At the WVCBP, we are tracking policy changes and flexibilities that impact the ability of West Virginians to utilize the safety net during the COVID-19 crisis. This post highlights changes to Medicaid, SNAP (food stamps) and TANF, as well as additional flexibilities in state and federal law that West Virginia should utilize to improve access…
West Virginia faces unique challenges in the face of the COVID 19 crisis, namely an at-risk population for serious illness and complications. This is due to the state’s aging population and large percentage of residents with chronic health conditions. A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis put West Virginia at the highest percentage in the nation of…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - As of publication, no cases of COVID-19 have been identified in West Virginia, but it is very likely only a matter of time until our state’s residents are affected. Read op-ed. While the Governor’s Office and state agencies are taking this issue very seriously, this pandemic has revealed serious holes in our…