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…
Health
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…
For Immediate Release: October 21, 2020 Contact: Kelly Allen, 304-612-4180 Charleston, WV - West Virginia saw the largest drop in the uninsured rate in the country following implementation of the Affordable Care Act, primarily due to success of the Medicaid expansion. While progress in reducing the uninsured rate has stalled since 2016, the pandemic has reinforced the importance…
West Virginia MetroNews - With the U.S. Supreme Court scheduled to hear oral arguments next month regarding former President Barack Obama’s health care law, a group of West Virginia organizations on Tuesday shared their concerns about what overturning the law could mean for the state. Read the full article. The West Virginia Center on Budget…
The Dominion Post, Insurance News Net - If the Affordable Care Act is overturned, nearly 200,000 West Virginians would lose their health care insurance and 16,000 jobs in the state would be lost. Read the full article. These are some of the statistics that came out of a Zoom meeting Tuesday held by the West…