West Virginia Lawmakers Draft Legislation That Would Allow Public Comment on Medicaid Changes

West Virginia lawmakers are drafting legislation that would require Medicaid officials to seek comment from the public and the state Legislature about changes to Medicaid before the changes are made, the Charleston Gazette reports. West Virginia is the only state where Medicaid officials can make changes to the program without telling the public, according to a 2006 report from the National Association of Community Health Centers and the National Health Law Program. Medicaid also is exempt from a state law that requires officials to receive approval from the Legislature before making changes (Long, Charleston Gazette, 1/21). State House legislators are examining other states' laws regarding Medicaid to draft the legislation. Lawmakers said the bill would aim to prevent problems, such as when officials decided to end in-home care benefits for 700 elderly beneficiaries in 2006. The benefits later were restored by Gov. Joe Manchin (D). State Department of Health and Human Resources Secretary Martha Walker during a House hearing last week said she has been considering ways to inform legislators about officials' plans for Medicaid, such as through "a monthly update with what's going on at Medicaid, general Medicaid, waivers, changes and things" (Long, Charleston Gazette, 1/22). State Senate Finance Committee Chair Walt Helmick (D) said lawmakers need detailed information about the program before changes are made and general overviews of the program would be inadequate. Helmick said, "There's a lot of people, including myself, that should know what's in that particular program." Some lawmakers said they were unable to read the state's redesign proposal for the program before it was submitted, without public comment, to the federal government in April 2006. The redesign proposal would establish a "medical home" system and promote preventive health care and healthy lifestyles (Charleston Gazette, 1/21).