Health

April 6, 2023 by WVCBP
The Dismissive Attitude Toward Solving Addiction

Beckley Register-Herald - When local attorney Todd Kirby was running for the Beckley seat in the House of Delegates last fall – a race he won – he talked about solving the drug overdose death crisis in the state. He wasn’t the first and he won’t be the last. Read the full op-ed. The candidate…

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March 27, 2023 by WVCBP
As ACA Hits 13th Year, West Virginia Makes Coverage Gains

Public News Service, Clay County Free Press - It's been 13 years since more than 156,000 West Virginians gained health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Read the full article. As sweeping and sometimes controversial as the ACA has been, its longer-term effects are still being felt today at the state level. Gary Zuckett, executive director…

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March 24, 2023 by Rhonda Rogombe
Opinion: Health Policy, the Social Safety Net, and the 2023 Legislative Session

Morgan Messenger - West Virginia has long faced significant health-related challenges, many of which could have been meaningfully addressed by bills introduced during the 2023 legislative session. While a couple of positive health-focused bills were passed by the legislature this year, unfortunately lawmakers focused much of their attention on health-related policies based on fear—not facts.…

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March 23, 2023 by Rhonda Rogombe
Health Policy, the Social Safety Net, and the 2023 Legislative Session

West Virginia has long faced significant health-related challenges, many of which could have been meaningfully addressed by bills introduced during the 2023 legislative session. Maternal and infant mortality rates continue to rise nationally, and the most recent pre-pandemic state data indicated that infant mortality in West Virginia outpaces the national rate.[1] Opioid overdose deaths continue to take the…

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March 16, 2023 by Rhonda Rogombe
State Health Department Has to Check Medicaid Eligibility

Beckley Register-Herald, Fayette Tribune - The state health department will soon be required to assess if more than 600,000 Medicaid users — more than a third of the state’s population — are still eligible for free or low-cost health insurance. Read the full article. The undertaking comes as the department, which is facing mounting criticism…

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March 16, 2023 by Rhonda Rogombe
Mountain State Spotlight Explains: How West Virginians on Medicaid Can Keep Health Insurance

Mountain State Spotlight - When COVID first upended West Virginia in spring 2020, the federal government took steps to make sure people had access to the food and health insurance they needed. In some cases, benefits increased. In others, like Medicaid, state officials were allowed to temporarily stop checking eligibility requirements. Since then, the insurance…

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March 11, 2023 by WVCBP
West Virginia Health, Social Leaders to Host Free Forum on Medicaid Changes

WOWK - Our Future West Virginia will have a free, public Medicaid forum on the West Side of Charleston, West Virginia, in March. Read the full article. The organization says the COVID-19 Pandemic Emergency Coverage program will soon end, leaving many West Virginians without Medicaid coverage. The forum will help teach the community about important…

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March 10, 2023 by Rhonda Rogombe
Four Things You Need to Know About Upcoming Changes to Medicaid and CHIP

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government passed legislation to help families and health care providers amid an unprecedented health and economic crisis. Among the provisions, states were required to keep people who receive health insurance via Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) continuously enrolled in the programs in exchange…

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