According to the national Center on Budget and Policy Priorities , many of West Virginia's elderly would be living in poverty, if not for Social Security. According our recent report, about 30 percent of West Virginia seniors rely solely on Social Security in retirement. What's particularly surprising is the significant number of children who receive…
Health
West Virginia has one of the lowest per capita incomes in the country, and nearly 25 percent of personal income in West Virginia comes from government transfer payments. The national average is just under 15 percent. Transfer payments are mainly made up of payments by the government for various social benefit programs. These programs include Social…
On Friday, State Senator McCabe had a nicely written retort to my op-ed last week on OPEB . Senator McCabe is a friend and I value his opinion greatly and I think he takes a well reasoned and balanced approach. I just wish I was as optimistic as McCabe about addressing OPEB and our long-term…
As I mentioned in my last post , the Census projects that by 2030 one in four West Virginians will be over age 65. As a result, it could cost state and local governments a lot revenue. This is because seniors, in general, are not part of the labor force. This means they pay less in…
Would you consider it a "crisis" if an accountant told you how much money you owe on your house? Apparently, that's the rationale Phil Kabler used yesterday when he told people that our state's $8 billion OPEB (Other Post Employment Benefits = the state's retiree health care subsidy for state and public school employees) liability is "the…
When Congress reauthorized the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in February, it provided increased funding and more flexibility to states to insure additional children. A new policy brief outlines how West Virginia can take advantage of the new provisions. Read
With health care reform estimated to cost around $1 trillion over the next 10 years, the means must now be found to pay the bill. A recent report by Citizens for Tax Justice highlighted three proposals that would raise the needed revenue without burdening working families already struggling to make ends meet. Read
West Virginia Medicaid can improve the health of West Virginia women and infants and save dollars by providing family planning services for new mothers for 24 months beyond the birth of the baby. Read
West Virginia had the second highest percent of children with special health care needs in the nation in 2005 – 2006. Read