Health Insurance Coverage of the Total Population in WV

The changing landscape of healthcare involves a number of factors as highlighted in this publication, including the way that residents receive their health insurance. Even in times of uncertainty resulting from activity in Washington and the ultimate impact on the State, West Virginia hospitals continue to position themselves to respond to the challenges. Below represents a brief snapshot of how West Virginians receive their health insurance coverage as sourced by the Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation. Among the noteworthy figures is that six percent of residents still remain uninsured:

While these figures represent only a snapshot in time as coverage options continue to unfold, it's important to point out that hospitals began advance funding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion in 2010 through federal cuts to Medicare payments. These cuts were built into the ACA as a way to help cover the cost of Medicaid expansion. The total year impact of these cuts in WV Medicare hospital payments equals an estimated $1.3 billion over a 14-year period. Medicare already pays below cost so any benefit of Medicaid expansion, for example, is countered by losses experienced on the Medicare side. In fact, Medicare on average covers only 88 cents of every dollar treating Medicare patients.

With just a few years of experience resulting from new coverage options, not to mention economic, demographic, and regulatory changes occurring throughout the industry, along with the activity in Washington, the landscape still remains undefined. Hospitals however will continue to meet their core mission of providing quality care and improving the health of their communities.