For Immediate Release: June 12, 2025
Contact: Alex Gallo, (610)-283-4844
CHARLESTON, WV — Local and state health care providers, food banks, and advocacy organizations are calling on Senators Capito and Justice to protect vital care and services for Mountaineers ahead of a pending budget vote in the Senate.
The House of Representatives advanced its budget bill last month, with support from both West Virginia’s Representatives Riley Moore and Carol Miller, that includes drastic cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. Medicaid is critical for West Virginians’ health and well-being, and $700 billion in cuts would be catastrophic for West Virginians who rely on the program, which includes 49,000 seniors, 196,000 children, and 86,000 people with disabilities.
In addition to Medicaid cuts, the bill also raises premiums and out-of-pocket costs for over 50,000 West Virginians who buy coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). These price hikes will force thousands of West Virginia families to lose their coverage altogether.
The budget bill also includes a 30 percent cut to SNAP, the state’s most important anti-hunger program, by shifting significant costs for the program to our strained state budget; enacting ineffective and bureaucratic paperwork requirements; and lowering benefits over time by freezing the Thrifty Food Plan which helps benefit amounts keep pace with rising costs of a healthy diet. Over time it is projected that 2 million children will lose access to food if these proposals are enacted.
The press conference will underscore how cuts to these popular programs would impact health care and food access for people around the state, devastate hospitals and community health centers, and adversely impact West Virginia’s budget and workforce.
WHO:
WHAT:
WHERE:
WHEN: Tuesday, June 17th at 11:00 – 11:30am
This press conference is being sponsored by American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Friends Service Committee, Cabin Creek Health Systems, Catholic Charities-WV, Facing Hunger, Keep Your Faith Corporation, Mom’s Rising, Protect Our Care WV, WV Cancer Society, WV Citizen Action Group, West Virginians for Affordable Health Care, WV Center on Budget and Policy, WV Food and Farm Coalition, and WV Rural Health Association.
