CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — Nearly 17% of West Virginians face poverty, and with many people below the poverty line relying on Medicaid for health insurance, some are are concerned that slashing the budget for the health care provider could have a negative impact in the Mountain State.
Democrat Del. Hollis Lewis said Medicaid should be untouchable.
“We cannot cut necessary services that people depend on,” he said.
The US House Energy and Commerce committee oversees almost $25 trillion in spending. Medicare and Medicaid receive nearly $24 trillion of that money. The committee has been asked to cut down its spending by no less than $800 billion by March 27. Meaning Medicaid is likely to take a massive hit.
"Not only are your individual healthcare determinants to be affected by this but the quality of care that our hospitals can provide because they benefit from Medicaid as well,” Lewis said. “Obviously it's not as much as private insurance, however it's part of the financial system."
West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito told Eyewitness News she wants to protect those in the state who rely on Medicaid, but thinks there needs to be some changes in the system.
"I'm going to tread lightly here. I want to make sure that our benefits are still there for that 500,000 people And but I do want to see that to make the program work better There are areas that can be improved,” Capito.
Capito suggests work requirements be earned by those on Medicaid to help the agency run more efficiently.
"Let's require work to earn that benefit. Let's look at different ways to work with the states because the states do a lot of the parameters around Medicaid," she said. "Let's work with the states to see if we can pull in some of the expenditures to make it work for the people that are on it presently."