Proposals to force people who do not report a set number of hours worked per month would cause thousands of West Virginians to lose their Medicaid health coverage. The vast majority would become uninsured. This would lead to poorer health outcomes, more financial insecurity for low-income people, and reduced revenues for hospitals while raising health…
Health
This past legislative session, the House introduced House Bill 3136 that directed the WV DHHR to apply for a Section 1115 waiver to implement Medicaid work reporting requirements on all non-elderly adults in enrolled in the program. If enacted, and approved from the federal government (CMS), it would force thousands of people who do not…
A lawsuit that began as a long-shot challenge to the Affordable Care Act now has life and death stakes as it winds its way through the courts. This is a lawsuit that West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey signed the state onto, even though our residents arguably have the most to lose if the Affordable…
As state legislatures and officials around the country consider applying for Medicaid demonstration projects, or waivers, Indiana’s “Healthy Indiana Program 2.0” (HIP 2.0) is often touted as a more efficient way of delivering Medicaid services. But is it? When Indiana adopted the Medicaid expansion in 2015, it did so through a Section 1115 waiver which…
Though the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010 dramatically reduced the number of uninsured people in the United States in the immediate years following implementation, many states (including West Virginia) have been experiencing a turnaround. West Virginia especially experienced a historic decrease in the number of uninsured citizens. Now, nine years after…
West Virginia experienced historic gains in the number of residents insured when the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion were implemented. In fact, West Virginia arguably benefited more than any other state from the provisions of the Affordable Care Act. In 2013, prior to implementation, the state’s uninsured rate was 14 percent. By 2016, it…
In March 2019, West Virginia lawmakers passed Senate Bill 564 to raise the Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women to 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) while guaranteeing coverage for 60-days postpartum. By aligning West Virginia with current state trends and closing a health insurance gap, this policy will provide coverage for hundreds of…
This blog post was written by Jesse Cross-Call, Senior Policy Analyst with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. West Virginia’s House is expected to vote today on House Bill 3136, which would likely take Medicaid coverage away from at least 46,000 non-elderly adults who can’t meet proposed work requirements. Read blog post. The bill…
Comprehensive prenatal care is key to a healthy pregnancy and delivery. Unfortunately, while the Affordable Care Act allowed West Virginia to expand Medicaid to more pregnant women in the state, many expecting mothers still lack comprehensive health care coverage during pregnancy. West Virginia can ensure more moms and babies are healthy—while saving money for families…
This week, the West Virginia legislature originated a bill in the House Finance Committee to enact work requirements for Medicaid. The bill quickly passed the committee and headed to the House floor. The bill stems from actions last year, when the Trump administration announced that it would allow states to remove some low-income adults from…