CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Kanawha County Commission said there needs to be town hall meetings on health care before the U.S. Senate votes on its health care legislation.
The commission voted to send a letter to Congressional representatives regarding the future of health care and having open discussions regarding action on former President Barack Obama’s health care law.
Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper said this issue is too big for to justify holding meetings behind closed doors.
“Those who want to pass it ought to have a public meeting to come in and explain the benefit to it,” he said. “There ought to be meaningful public meetings here where you represent us.”
Senate Republicans unveiled their health care bill last week, which includes phasing out Medicaid expansion beginning in 2021 and a $2 billion opioid grant program. According to the Congressional Budget Office, more than 22 million Americans would be without coverage compared to if the current health care system remained in place.
Both U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., have voiced their opposition to the Senate proposal.
Carper’s comments came after a report of a Wednesday roundtable hosted by the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department. Community and health care representatives discussed the benefits of “Obamacare” in the Charleston area, and what reforms need to be made to the legislation.
Department public information officer John Law said Thursday the state and region have benefited greatly from the current law’s Medicaid expansion.
“These people are starting to get a continuum of care,” he said. “They’re seeing the doctor when they’re not in a crisis.”
Law noted out of the more than 172,000 adults who have health insurance through the Medicaid expansion, 17,000 of those live in the Kanawha Valley.
The forum was the second the health department has hosted; in March, a similar event was held regarding the House bill, the American Health Care Act.
Republican Reps. David McKinley, Alex Mooney and Evan Jenkins all voted for a revised House proposal in May.
Carper said neither bill addresses health care issues facing West Virginians.
“Does Medicaid need to be fixed and tweaked and fully funded? Yes it does,” he said. “But I can’t see any benefit to the state on (the Senate health care plan) whatsoever.”
The CBO announced Thursday the current Senate bill would result in a 26 percent decrease in Medicaid spending by 2026, which would fall to around 35 percent by 2036.