Recently, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act. The bill is a comprehensive infrastructure package that includes public money for broadband, water systems, renewable energy investments, and two critical components that would support well-paying jobs and the revitalization of coalfield communities across the country-- the RECLAIM Act and the reauthorization of the…
Health
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…