Health

August 14, 2013 by WVCBP
West Virginia Should Extend CHIP Coverage to Public Employees

The passage of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) included a little-heralded provision to permit states to expand coverage of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to children of public employees. So far, at least seven states have benefited from allowing public employees to enroll their children in CHIP. If West Virginia were to adopt…

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August 7, 2013 by WVCBP
The Profits of Non-Profit Hospitals

Hospitals serve a vital role in any community, providing life-saving care to the injured and ill while contributing significant dollars and hours to community service.  For example, an article in yesterday's Charleston Daily Mail proclaims that the Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) "reports $115 million in area benefit" in 2012.  These benefits included training classes…

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August 1, 2013 by WVCBP
Losing Sight Of What Matters In Health Reform

There was an interesting article this week in the Washington Post called "Inside the Obamacare Resistance."  What's interesting about it (to me at least) is that it helped tie the loose ends of thought about a number of articles and interviews that I've come across lately from opponents of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  It's…

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July 24, 2013 by WVCBP
Party Like It’s 1989

Obamacare parties like it's 1989…the Republican Party, that is. You see, the premise of Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act (ACA), is that everyone should have access to health care, and to accomplish this it requires 1) that insurers offer coverage to anyone regardless of health status and 2) everyone be required to have health…

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July 15, 2013 by WVCBP
Governor Tomblin Has ACA Questions

This afternoon, the Governor's Office sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) chief, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, regarding the Affordable Care Act in West Virginia.  In the letter dated July 15, Governor Tomblin requests "prompt answers to several questions concerning implementation of the ." (See the letter here) The majority of…

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July 12, 2013 by WVCBP
Improving Health By Focusing on…High School Graduation?

How could West Virginia save hundreds of millions of dollars per year in healthcare costs?  By getting more kids to graduate high school.  Confused?  Let me explain. Most people understand that health is much more than just medical care.  A person's health is the result of a combination of a myriad of factors like genetics,…

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July 9, 2013 by WVCBP
Obamacare Rhetoric Off The Mark

There's an interesting spin on Obamacare that has been going on in recent days as a result of several announcements out of Washington.  First, the Treasury Department announced last week that it will delay enforcing the large-employer mandate for one year.  Later, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it will simplify the…

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July 3, 2013 by WVCBP
Employer Mandate Delayed – What Does it Mean for WV?

Yesterday evening, the Obama administration made a surprise announcement that it would be delaying the employer mandate, a key provision of the Affordable Care Act, for one year.  The rule, originally slated to take effect January 1st of 2014, requires employers with 50 or more employees to provide health insurance coverage to their workers or…

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June 25, 2013 by WVCBP
The Numbers Are In

Yesterday, CCRC Actuaries, the firm hired by the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner to analyze the effect of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), released its report on the expected impact of the health insurance exchange in West Virginia.  The good news is that lots of people will spend less on health insurance and…

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June 20, 2013 by WVCBP
Who Will Qualify for Medicaid Under Expansion?

With enrollment for the new Health Insurance Marketplace just around the corner and the full implementation of the Affordable Care Act hot on its heels, I wanted to take a moment to consider who will qualify for Medicaid under expansion in West Virginia. Medicaid is a health program designed to provide comprehensive health and dental…

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