Twenty-two percent of all West Virginians rely on Medicaid for health care. Cutting Medicaid benefits would hurt many of the state's poor, elderly and disabled. Medicaid Made Simple explains why Medicaid is so important to West Virginia, its people, its economy and its future. Read
Health
According to a new study conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, life expectancy of U.S. women slipped in some regions, declining in 737 U.S. counties (out of more than 3,000) between 1997 and 2007. Even though life expectancy nationwide has risen over the last two decades, there is a widening gap between…
Each year, the use of tobacco claims the lives of thousands of West Virginians. The state currently has the nation’s highest smoking rate among adults and pregnant women and one of the highest among children. Currently only seven states have a lower tobacco tax than West Virginia. Bills (SB 362/HB 2973) introduced in the 2011…
Over last fifty years, the cost of health care has increased dramatically in the United States. In 1960, 5 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) went toward health expenditures. By 2008, health expenditures comprised 16.2 percent of GDP. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that total health care spending could reach 26 percent…
Approximately one in seven West Virginians found themselves in poverty during the recession years of 2008 and 2009. This number would have been even higher without crucial assistance from government programs (Figure 1). Figure 1. West Virginians in poverty with and without government programs Source. Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2010. Microdata…
According to a recent study by the Center for American Progress , new federal funds from the recent health care legislation should create nearly 5,000 new jobs in West Virginia, thanks to significant investment in community health centers. The Affordable Care Act will provide $11 billion nationwide to build new community health centers and improve existing ones. Most…
Hoppy Kercheval's commentary today about how politicians are "raiding Social Security" illustrates his long confusion with the program and his desire to privatize or gut the program. Hoppy seems to be getting his inspiration from this Wall Street Journal article. As we've illustrated here and here, Social Security is a basic means of survival for many of our elderly. Not to…
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…
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…