Health

July 15, 2020 by Kelly Allen
Kelly Allen: Direct Dollars Towards Need

Beckley Register-Herald - Across our state, West Virginians are continuing to bear the brunt of the COVID-19 public health and economic crisis. Food insecurity is spiking, families are facing eviction from their homes because they can’t afford rent, parents are struggling to balance child care and work, and officials are scrambling to figure out how…

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June 25, 2020 by Kelly Allen
Republican Attorneys General, DOJ Submit Briefs in ‘Obamacare’ Lawsuit

WV MetroNews - Eighteen state attorneys general and the U.S. Department of Justice have filed their opening briefs in the legal challenge to former President Barack Obama’s health care law with the U.S. Supreme Court. Read full article here. The briefs filed Thursday argue the law is no longer constitutional because Congress zeroed out the individual mandate penalty for…

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June 25, 2020 by Kelly Allen
ACA Repeal More Dangerous Than Ever for West Virginians During Pandemic and Economic Crisis

Trump Administration and Morrisey lawsuit would end health coverage for more than 162,000 West Virginians For Immediate Release: June 25, 2020 Contact: Kelly Allen, 304-612-4180 or Jessica Ice, 304-322-0074 Charleston, WV - Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting major recession, the Trump Administration and 18 state attorneys general, including West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, plan to file briefs…

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June 24, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
West Virginia’s Prescription Transparency Law Can Address Rising Drug Costs

The cost of prescription drugs is one of the leading health care issues in the United States, accounting for $335 billion of total health care spending in 2018 [1] and over 23 percent of total health insurance premium costs.[2] And the cost of prescription drugs is rising. The cost of prescription drugs is one of…

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June 22, 2020 by Kelly Allen
Kelly Allen: More Health Care, Not Less, Needed Amid Pandemic

Charleston Gazette-Mail - Around the country, states are seeing dramatic increases in Medicaid enrollment as furloughed workers and their dependents lose their job-based health insurance and turn to Medicaid for coverage during the coronavirus pandemic. Read op-ed. Since March, West Virginia has seen an increase in Medicaid enrollment of approximately 24,000 people, but that is…

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May 20, 2020 by Kelly Allen,
COVID-Related Health Coverage Losses Continue to Mount

A few weeks ago we began raising alarms about the likelihood of a sharp increase in the number of uninsured West Virginians. Over the past eight weeks, 143,000 West Virginians have filed unemployment claims due to job loss and, as we know, most working Americans get their health coverage through their employer. That means that…

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April 27, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
Tracking the Coronavirus Economic Impact in West Virginia

As more West Virginians became vaccinated, and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) supported the economy, West Virginia began to see strong improvements in 2021. But new COVID variants threatened the recovery, and the impact of the ARP has begun to fade. And the depth of the downturn means that West Virginia still has a long…

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April 23, 2020 by Kelly Allen,
60,000 West Virginians Have Likely Lost Health Coverage Over the Past Month

Much of the conversation on record job losses in West Virginia over the past five weeks has centered on our state’s unemployment insurance system, and with good reason. According to Governor Justice and WorkForce WV, at least 130,000 residents have filed initial unemployment claims since school closures and stay-at-home orders began, and that figure does…

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April 7, 2020 by Kelly Allen, Seth DiStefano
What You Need to Know: Accessing the Safety Net During COVID-19

At the WVCBP, we are tracking policy changes and flexibilities that impact the ability of West Virginians to utilize the safety net during the COVID-19 crisis. This post highlights changes to Medicaid, SNAP (food stamps) and TANF, as well as additional flexibilities in state and federal law that West Virginia should utilize to improve access…

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March 18, 2020 by Kelly Allen
Swift State and Federal Public Health Response to Covid 19 Critical

West Virginia faces unique challenges in the face of the COVID 19 crisis, namely an at-risk population for serious illness and complications. This is due to the state’s aging population and large percentage of residents with chronic health conditions. A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis put West Virginia at the highest percentage in the nation of…

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