In July, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued guidance to states to move ahead with implementing President Trump’s executive order by creating a national Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) information database including the personal identifying information of SNAP participants and their families.
This guidance directed states to share the names, dates of birth, social security numbers, and addresses of people participating in SNAP with the USDA, an unprecedented request according to legal experts and former USDA officials, one of which underscored “FNS has never had a nationwide list of everyone receiving SNAP benefits, let alone detailed personal information like their address or income.”
This federal overreach raises significant individual privacy concerns, likely violating state and federal privacy laws in addition to the USDA’s own authority.
22 West Virginia advocacy and food security organizations, including the WVCBP, have joined together to urge Governor Morrisey and state officials to refuse to comply with this directive, particularly as its legality and constitutionality is currently working its way through the courts after challenges by SNAP recipients and 21 states.
Join us! Call Gov. Morrisey and tell him not to comply with the USDA’s illegal request. West Virginians deserve safety, privacy, and access to the help they need, without fear of their personal information being shared. You can contact him at 304-558-2000.
If Gov. Morrisey chooses to comply with this act of federal overreach, not only will he have betrayed his constituents who rely on SNAP by compromising their private information, he will also create a chilling effect whereby fewer families who struggle with food insecurity will feel comfortable participating in the SNAP program due to the potential privacy risks.
You can read the full letter sent to Gov. Morrisey here.
You can watch a reel discussing the letter here.
You can find media coverage on the letter here, here, and here.
Please note: This publication is part one of a two-part series outlining federal changes to the ACA Marketplace.
In July, Congress passed a sweeping budget reconciliation bill that cements the largest cuts to health care and food security in US history. Supported by all four members of West Virginia’s Congressional delegation, these cuts will impact families, communities, and the state’s economy and budget. While much of the focus on this legislation has centered on Medicaid and SNAP, there are also significant cuts to the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) health care Marketplace, which helps nearly 24 million Americans receive health insurance, including nearly 70,000 West Virginians. It has played a key role in decreasing the number of people in the state who are uninsured while providing access to necessary care.
Overall, this legislation makes health care significantly less accessible, whether because it is more expensive or more exclusive. Many of the unprecedented changes will be difficult for enrollees to navigate. To add insult to injury, the ACA Navigator program, which helps people enroll in the Marketplace and navigate complicated processes, will lose 90 percent of their funding by the end of August 2025. This cut will drastically reduce their ability to help people access the care they need.
Changes to the ACA Marketplace, also known as Obamacare, as Outlined by H. R. 1
H.R. 1 allows enhanced ACA subsidies to expire (effective January 1, 2026): During the COVID-19 public health emergency, Congress made Marketplace coverage more affordable by increasing the amount of subsidies (also known as tax credits or advance premium tax credits) that enrollees were eligible for. The Marketplace serves people who cannot get health insurance through a job, Medicare, or Medicaid; income-based subsidies help make health insurance on the Marketplace more affordable—but those enhanced subsidies will expire at the end of this year without Congressional action.
Since 2022, West Virginia’s Marketplace has more than doubled in size (from roughly 23,000 people to just over 67,000), in large part due to its affordability in the wake of the public health emergency. If Congress does not extend these credits, over 67,000 West Virginians will see their health insurance premiums increase by an average of 133 percent or $1,400 annually. This is expected to result in 15,000 West Virginians losing their health insurance because they can no longer afford it.
Congress still has time to extend these enhancements and make them permanent before open enrollment starts on November 1, 2025.
H.R. 1 bars people who fail to meet Medicaid work reporting requirements from receiving ACA subsidies (effective January 1, 2027): While the Marketplace faces significant changes, Medicaid and other safety net programs do, too. For the first time in program history, Medicaid will nationally implement work reporting requirements (or job loss penalties) for many enrollees, including parents of children over the age of 14 and those recently laid off. While most Medicaid recipients already work or meet an exemption, proving those things repeatedly is often a confusing and challenging multi-step process. An estimated 50,000 to 110,000 West Virginians are at risk of losing their health coverage because of this requirement—despite many of them meeting it.
The bill also bars people who lose their Medicaid coverage because of these work reporting requirements from receiving subsidies to help them afford Marketplace coverage. Combined, these policies make health care less accessible for thousands of West Virginians by using difficult-to-navigate bureaucratic red tape.
H.R. 1 eliminates certain immigrants’ ability to receive ACA subsidies (effective January 1, 2026): Medicaid and other safety net programs do not allow undocumented immigrants or permanent residents (including green card holders) who have been in the country for fewer than five years to receive benefits. Prior to this legislation, documented immigrants who would qualify for the traditional Medicaid program if not for the five-year bar could enroll in the Marketplace and receive subsidies.
Starting in 2026, this population will no longer be able to receive subsidies for the Marketplace. Because they are also not eligible for Medicaid due to their immigration status, this population will not be able to receive health insurance unless their employers offer it at an affordable price or they pay for a Marketplace plan out of pocket. It is unclear how many West Virginians this aspect of the legislation will impact, but it is apparent that this change will deeply impact immigrant families in West Virginia, many of whom will have no other health insurance options.
H.R. 1 eliminates subsidy repayment limits (effective January 1, 2026, with impact during the 2027 tax season): To determine the amount of subsidies that a person or family qualifies for, enrollees must estimate their projected income for the year that their health insurance plan will cover. For many West Virginians, especially for contract workers and self-employed people, it can be difficult to predict their incomes and other unexpected life changes. In the past, if their actual income was higher than what they projected, they were required to repay excess subsidies—but importantly, there were limits to protect people from large, unexpected repayment burdens.
Starting during tax season 2027, enrollees who underestimated their incomes in 2026 will be required to repay the entire excess subsidy that they received. This policy change has potential to put many people at significant risk of financial instability amid other life changes, including divorce or receiving Social Security disability benefits.
H.R. 1 eliminates ACA subsidies for people who enroll via an income-based special enrollment period (effective January 1, 2026 and expires January 1, 2027): In March 2022, the Marketplace added a special enrollment period for people with low-incomes. For the first time, people with incomes below 150 percent of the federal poverty line (about $20,300 annually for a single person) could enroll in the Marketplace and receive subsidies outside of the open enrollment period without meeting another qualifying life event.
Starting during open enrollment for 2026 plans, people with low incomes must meet another qualifying life event to receive subsidies for health insurance outside of the open enrollment season. Furthermore, a June regulation eliminates the low-income special enrollment period for 2026, meaning that even without qualifying for subsidies, people who do not meet another qualifying life event cannot receive coverage via the Marketplace at all. The provisions of the June regulation will be further detailed in part two of this series.
Combined, the cuts to Medicaid and the ACA Marketplace are expected to leave West Virginia with $1 billion fewer federal dollars every year. H.R. 1 will impact every West Virginian, even if they do not rely on Medicaid or the ACA Marketplace for their health insurance. This legislation will incur a significant cost to families and the state: it will result in thousands of jobs lost, hospital and clinic closures, fewer available services, and worse quality of life for many West Virginians. It will harm the very economy it claims to support and push people into debt. It will make health insurance more expensive for people in employer-sponsored health insurance plans.
The deepest cuts will not occur for several years, giving Congress the opportunity to reverse course and work toward improving health care outcomes via access and affordability.
Read Rhonda’s full blog post.
Over the next few weeks, the WVCBP will share short, easy-to-digest reels that break down how the budget reconciliation bill impacts the ACA Marketplace, Medicaid, and SNAP. You can watch our introductory reel here. Stay tuned for more!
Please note: This publication is part two of a two-part series outlining federal changes to the ACA Marketplace.
In addition to significant cuts to the ACA Marketplace included in the budget reconciliation package, upcoming administrative rule changes will make Marketplace coverage more expensive and less accessible for people in West Virginia and across the country. While some of the changes are temporary, they may impact many people beyond 2026 as they deter those who will face difficulty during 2026 from seeking coverage in the years that follow.
Changes to the ACA Marketplace, also known as Obamacare, as Outlined by the Final Marketplace Program Integrity and Affordability Regulation
The regulation eliminates the income-based special enrollment period for 2026 (effective August 25, 2025; sunsets December 31, 2026): As briefly mentioned in part one of this blog series, the low-income special enrollment period allowed people with incomes below 150 percent of the federal poverty line (about $23,500 for a single person) to enroll in the Marketplace and receive subsidies outside of the open enrollment period without meeting another qualifying life event.
Starting August 25, 2025, and going through December 31, 2026, people seeking Marketplace coverage can no longer qualify based on a low income without another qualifying life event. For plans starting in 2027, states can choose to start offering income-based special enrollment periods again but will no longer be required to. However, a provision of the reconciliation bill states that even if states offer this pathway, enrollees cannot receive subsidies to help cover costs.
The regulation implements a monthly fee for certain enrollees who do not actively reenroll (effective for 2026 coverage; sunsets December 31, 2026): In the past, most people who did not actively reenroll in a Marketplace plan for the following year were automatically enrolled in the same or similar plan. The program utilized recent tax data to update how much their subsidy amount would be, ensuring continuous coverage for many. For coverage in 2026, enrollees whose subsidies cover the full cost of their premiums will face a $5 monthly fee unless they update their information by December 15, 2025. These penalty fees begin on December 15, 2025 and will be charged each month until updated information is provided by the enrollee.
The regulation allows Marketplace insurers to require enrollees repay past-due premiums to enroll (effective August 25, 2025): In the past, insurers were prohibited from requiring people to pay past-due premiums as a condition of enrolling in a plan in the future. This policy helped ensure that past financial instability did not limit access to health care. Starting at the end of August 2025, Marketplace insurers can require people to pay past-due premiums before they receive a new plan with that insurer. There is no limit on how far back insurers can look when applying this policy.
The regulation eliminates eligibility for Marketplace coverage for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients (effective August 25, 2025): Since 2012, DACA has temporarily deferred deportation for young immigrants who grew up in the United States and allowed them to work. During that period, DACA recipients were able to receive health insurance via the ACA Marketplace and receive income-based subsidies to help them afford coverage. While this policy has faced legal challenges, the regulation passed in June bars DACA recipients from receiving Marketplace coverage. This change is permanent without further regulatory or legislative changes.
On September 1, 2025, DACA recipients across the country will no longer have access to health insurance via the Marketplace, leaving them without any other option if their employer does not offer it. While it is unclear how many West Virginians this regulation will impact, DACA recipients are over three times more likely to be uninsured than the overall US population; this policy will widen this disparity while making health outcomes worse for them.
The regulation shortens open enrollment period (effective during open enrollment starting November 1, 2026): The annual open enrollment period is the time when everyone who qualifies for a plan can enroll in the ACA Marketplace. Currently, it is between November 1 and January 15, though states can extend it beyond mid-January. Starting on November 1, 2026, for coverage starting on January 1, 2027, the open enrollment season will be cut by one month to go from November 1, 2026, to December 15, 2026. A longer open enrollment window ensures that everyone who wants to receive health care via the Marketplace has time to shop for plans and consider the best option for themselves and their family.
Open enrollment for 2026 coverage is unchanged and will occur from November 1, 2025, to January 15, 2026, in West Virginia. Please visit healthcare.gov or acanavigator.com/wv to learn more.
These changes to the ACA Marketplace, in addition to those outlined in the reconciliation bill, stand to make the Marketplace less accessible, less affordable, and more difficult to navigate. This blog touched on several of the key provisions of the regulatory changes, but there are others that target vulnerable populations. These changes, enumerated in a resource from Beyond the Basics, include banning gender-affirming care from being an essential benefit, requiring more verification paperwork with less time to resolve data matching and other issues, making plans more expensive, and creating less generous plans.
Combined, the cuts to the ACA Marketplace and Medicaid are expected to cost West Virginia $1 billion in federal dollars every year. As these dollars disappear, state officials must find ways to fill gaps in the state budget to ensure the same level and quality of care.
Even if a person is not enrolled in either of these programs, a lack of access to health care for those who are stands to impact every West Virginian and community across the state. This legislation and regulation will make health insurance more expensive for everyone, including those enrolled via their employer. It means fewer jobs in the health care sector, the only part of West Virginia’s economy that has grown over the past decade. It means hospital and clinic closures and fewer services, making people travel farther to receive basic health necessities. These barriers, and the coordination it requires to navigate them, will contribute to a lower quality of life and death for many across the state.
Congress still has time to act as the deepest cuts will not occur for at least a year; however, the changes going into effect this month will undoubtedly harm West Virginians in the short-term.
Read Rhonda’s full blog post.
West Virginians who get health coverage through Medicaid and the 277,000 West Virginians who receive food assistance from SNAP will be at risk of losing this assistance that helps them meet their basic needs. Both programs are slated for enormous cuts — well over $1 trillion in total.
Slashing this assistance will hurt a broad swath of families across rural, urban, and suburban parts of the state. For example, based on Congressional Budget Office nationwide estimates, CBPP projects 80,000 West Virginians will lose health coverage and become uninsured in 2034 under the law’s provisions, as well as its failure to extend important tax credits for health coverage.
The Republican megabill:
Learn more in CBPP’s full fact sheet.
Barbour and McDowell counties! Do you have questions about how federal funding changes will impact health care in your community?
Join the WVCBP for a community conversation where you can:
You can find details about date, time, and location for the respective community conversations in the flyers below. At each event, a presentation will be provided by WVCBP staff.
You can RSVP for the Barbour County event here and the McDowell County event here.
For more info, please email our community engagement coordinator, Alex.
Do you have questions about how recent federal funding changes will impact health care access and your community?
The WVCBP is here to help. We are offering to host community conversations for concerned community members to:
If you are interested, please fill out this form and we will be in contact with you about scheduling a community meeting near you!
Since taking office in January 2025, the Trump Administration, DOGE, and Congress have taken a “chainsaw” to government grants, programs, and services. The WVCBP has been tracking the ongoing impacts of federal funding cuts and job losses in West Virginia in real-time, including terminated grants to state agencies, terminated grants to non-profit and non-governmental entities, federal offices closed through lease cancellations, federal workers fired or laid off, and federal program cuts enacted by Congress. An article sharing recent updates from our tracker page was published earlier this week. Excerpt below:
West Virginia receives more federal funding than it sends to D.C. in taxes. But recent Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts, and budget and rescission efforts, are hurting the state’s bottom line.
Since January, West Virginia has lost at least 400 federal jobs and more than $330 million in federal grants according to a new report out from the West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy.
The biggest single loss is the $106 million in the Solar for All program. But federal earmarks in smaller projects for the state amount to $108 million.
State agencies that lost grants include the West Virginia Departments of Health, Agriculture, Education, and Environmental Protection.
One such project is the Local Food for Schools and Child Care project, through the USDA, that supports local farmers and provides schools with fresh grown local produce. That grant was less than $4 million.
The loss of 400 federal jobs will also mean fewer payroll taxes to the state.
Read the full article here.
Explore the WVCBP’s tracker page and learn more about the impact of DOGE cuts in the Mountain State here. Please note, this resource almost certainly underestimates the impact of federal funding cuts, as things change from day to day. It is being updated regularly.
Governor Morrisey’s request to ban the use of SNAP benefits to buy soda was recently approved by the USDA. This ban not only infringes on consumers’ freedom to purchase food items of their choice, but it will be costly for West Virginia retailers, particularly in border counties where SNAP recipients may choose to start buying their goods in other states with less strict SNAP purchase constraints. A recent article, including insight from WVCBP senior policy outreach director Seth DiStefano, provides further details. Excerpt below:
West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy senior policy outreach director Seth DiStefano isn’t so sure the Make America Healthy Again initiative is in the best interest of West Virginians.
“This has nothing to do with health,” DiStefano said.
Last Monday, Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s request to remove soda from SNAP benefits was granted by United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
But DiStefano believes people shouldn’t be policed for their food choices.
“Why are we legislating whether or not they can get a Coca-Cola if they want one,” he said. “And if all they have is a SNAP card to do it, who are we to judge?”
President Traci Nelson of the West Virginia Oil Marketers and Grocers’ Association said the decision could seriously hurt small convenience stores and mom and pop shops.
“They’re concerned because it feels really daunting right now because they don’t know what this is going to entail,” Nelson said.
Those who live in counties bordering other states would be able to purchase soft drinks with their SNAP benefits there, making Nelson wonder what else they might buy out of state.
“They’re going to cross the border to buy those products,” she said. “And then our concern is once they cross the border, they will buy other products. So West Virginia is going to be losing those sales as well.”
Read the full article here.
