Your Board would like you to be part of a calling/mailing/e-mailing to Governor Tomblin and encouraging him to ACCEPT MEDICAID EXPANSION AS PART OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN WEST VIRGINIA.
Medicaid expansion means putting 125,000-130,000 more WV low income people on Medicaid as their way of having health insurance under the ACA. If a family or individual earns 138% of the federal poverty level, or less, they may qualify.
The Federal Government is going to support the expansion in the states with a high Federal matching rate for the new Medicaid recipients. They will pay 100% for 2014 through 2016, 95% in 2017, 94% in 2018, 93% in 2019, and 90% in 2020 and beyond. Current Federal matching rates for regular Medicaid and Chip are well below these rates.
The states can choose not to include Medicaid expansion in their Healthcare reform. Governor Tomblin has been studying the costs before he decides.
Please get in touch with him by phone, e-mail or mail. Use the points in the letter below as you see fit.
Dear Governor Tomblin:
Please include Medicaid Expansion as part of West Virginia’s Affordable Care Act reform.
1) Having healthy people will improve every aspect of life in West Virginia including the economy.
2) It will put large amounts of Federal money into our economy.
3) Our rural hospitals will have more support.
4) The business community is encouraging you to do this because it will be good for them
5) For lower income working people with uncertain job stability, this is the most efficient and cost effective way to insure their health.
Thank you,
Governor Earl Ray Tomblin phone: 304-558-2000 e-mail: Governor@wv.gov
State Capitol Complex Toll Free: 1-888-438-2731 www.wvgov.org
1900 Kanawha Blvd. E.
Charleston, WV 25305