CHARLESTON, W.Va.–The West Virginia DHHR held a meeting Monday at the University of Charleston to promote the Coverage to Care Program, which encourages state residents to connect with a primary healthcare provider.
The program urges West Virginians who have obtained health care coverage under provisions of the Affordable Care Act to get a primary doctor. DHHR Cabinet Secretary Karen Bowling feels the reason West Virginia struggles so much with health is many citizens’ lack of a primary provider.
“In the state of West Virginia we know our health statistics are troubling,” Bowling said. “We believe part of that problem is associated with the fact that people are not connected to a primary health provider.”
Highland Hospital President and CEO Cynthia Persily explained that a primary provider has many advantages health-wise because they know a patient best.
“It’s important to have a primary care provider who knows you,” she said. “Who knows what’s best for you, who can work with you to help you meet health and wellness goals, who can understand what preventative care you need, and who can help you with your emotional and mental well being as well as deal with physical problems.”
Dan Walker, the director of pharmacy services for Highland Companies said primary care is important from a pharmaceutical standpoint as well.
“It’s very critical. A lot of times in pharmacy we think of ourselves as the point of the spear in healthcare,” he said. “We see a lot of the customers on a lot more consistent basis than they see a regular provider.”
Bowling acknowledged that West Virginia being such a rural state makes it more of a challenge to find a primary doctor in some areas, but resources are available.
More than 190,000 West Virginia’s have received medical insurance because of expansion of the state’s Medicaid program, which now includes people with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. The program has also improved benefits for many who already had existing coverage.