West Virginia MetroNews - As Congress moves closer to a budget deal, Senator Shelley Moore Capito has acknowledged the possibility of significant effects on Medicaid. Read the full article. Medicaid is a joint federal and state program for health insurance and medical services, traditionally for low-income people but more recently also for the working class.…
Health
For Immediate Release: April 3, 2025 Contact: Vivian Anderson, (304)-585-7413 McDowell County, WV— One of West Virginia’s most economically challenged and rural counties is bracing for the devastating impact of federal budget cuts, which threaten essential programs and the already fragile health care infrastructure that serves the region. The proposed cuts would drastically reduce funding for…
West Virginia Watch, Yahoo - Funding for foster care has been slashed in the House Finance Committee as members opted to ignore Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s proposed budget, including his $182 million request for a child welfare system in crisis. Read the full article. There are more than 5,800 children in foster care, and there aren’t…
West Virginia Watch, Charleston Gazette-Mail - West Virginia lawmakers on Monday walked back a measure that would have put more than 165,000 residents at risk of losing their health care coverage through Medicaid expansion. Read the full article. House Bill 3518 would have put in place a trigger so that if the federal government lowered the…
West Virginia MetroNews - West Virginia needs to send a message to the federal government about the possibility of cuts to Medicaid expansion coverage, the deputy speaker of the House of Delegates said. Read the full article. If federal officials cut the amount West Virginia is reimbursed for the healthcare expenses of its Medicaid expansion…
On Thursday, the House Finance committee originated a bill, HB 3518, that would “disenroll and eliminate state coverage” for the Medicaid expansion population if the federal match for the program is reduced. According to the most recent data available (December 2024), more than 165,000 West Virginians between the ages of 19-64 would lose their health…
Washington Post, Spokesman Review - Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s quest to reshape food policy in America took him to an event in West Virginia with the state’s Republican governor, who announced Friday his intent to seek the federal government’s help in barring the use of food stamps to buy soda. Read the full article. “Taxpayer…
West Virginia Public Broadcasting - The state Senate passed Senate Bill 249 which would expand training and employment requirements to qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The bill also pushes back the age at which West Virginians would no longer have to participate in those work requirements for SNAP eligibility. Read the full article. …
West Virginia Watch - The West Virginia Senate has approved a bill that would expand the work and training requirements for recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly called food stamps. Read the full article. Senators approved Senate Bill 249 with no discussion and a vote of 32 to 2. With some exceptions, able-bodied people without dependents…
This legislative session at least four bills have been introduced that would abolish or privatize the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA). All seem to be rooted in one of two premises: (1) health insurance could be better and more affordable if privatized; (2) the state no longer wants the expense of self-insuring employees anymore. If…