This blog was guest written for WVCBP by Jill Kriesky, former associate director of the Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project and author of our upcoming report on the cost of the addiction epidemic in Kanawha County. Someone, let’s say your sister, partner, or friend, gets hooked on opioids or stimulants, or a combination of both. We…
Health
WDTV - Even after a decade the affordable care act still has an uncertain future as an oral argument will be held by the US supreme court on Tuesday and this could play a huge roll in West Virginia if repealed. Read full article. “No state benefited more from the affordable care act than West…
Beckley Register-Herald - Today, the Supreme Court of the United States will take up a case that could upend our health care system. California v. Texas, a lawsuit brought by 18 state Attorneys General including West Virginia’s Patrick Morrisey, seeks to overturn the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA). Read the full article. If all or…
Mountain State Spotlight - A blurry eye and a numb foot. Those were Rachel Montgomery’s earliest symptoms when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis about nine years ago. When she’s on medication, she lives normally. Without it, she loses her balance. Fatigue sets in and numbness spreads throughout her body. Read the full article. Montgomery is…
The open enrollment period to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) started on November 1 and continues through December 15. This period allows individuals without existing health coverage to enroll in a private insurance plan or Medicaid – all in one place. As the nation continues to contend with the COVID-19 pandemic,…
The Dominion-Post - At the peak of the COVID-19 induced job loss crisis, an estimated 130,000 West Virginians lost their employment-based health insurance. Read the full article. While those numbers have since come down significantly, Workforce West Virginia estimates that total employment in the state is down by about 45,000 since this time last year. With…
West Virginia MetroNews - Healthcare officials in West Virginia say it’s more important and relevant than ever for residents to look for health insurance options in the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace as the enrollment period begins Sunday. Read the full article. Leaders of First Choice Services’ WV Navigator Program, West Virginians for Affordable Health Care and West…
Mountain State Spotlight - In West Virginia, public health and economics are especially intertwined. Read the full article. Since the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) was enacted in 2010, the law has funded treatment for substance use disorders, expanded black lung benefits and provided health insurance to 20 million Americans who were previously…
WDTV - The Affordable Care Act open enrollment period begins November first. On Friday, healthcare advocates with WV Navigators, West Virginians for Affordable Healthcare and the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy held a conference over Google Hangouts to offer insight in how and why West Virginians should apply this year. Read the full…
Last week, West Virginia’s Bureau for Children and Families released updated state Medicaid enrollment figures. The data revealed that 6,500 additional West Virginians registered for the program in September. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in February – and the subsequent loss of employment and wages – 53,500 additional individuals have gained coverage. This…