April Marks the fifth annual Medicaid Awareness Month – and there has never been a better time to raise awareness about Medicaid’s importance for communities here at home and across the country.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The month of April is a critical reminder that over 560,000 West Virginians – nearly one-third of the population – rely on Medicaid for their health coverage. Regardless of who you are or where you live, you or someone you love has almost certainly benefited from Medicaid. And with more Mountaineers relying on Medicaid coverage than ever before, it is essential that lawmakers work to preserve and protect Medicaid.
This Medicaid Awareness Month will both celebrate the importance of the program and underscore what’s in store for the future. The facts are simple: Medicaid is facing a over $100 million shortfall; however, Medicaid is not in crisis. Unless the failure to pass sound public policy makes it one.
WHO: Ellen Allen – Executive Director, West Virginians for Affordable Healthcare
Rich Sutphin – Executive Director, West Virginia Rural Health Association
Rhonda Rogombe – Health Policy Analyst, West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy
WHAT: Press Conference
WHEN: Monday, April 1, 2024, at 11:00AM
WHERE: West Virginians for Affordable Health Care
600 Leon Sullivan Way
Second Floor Conference Room
Charleston, WV 25301
WHY: April is Medicaid Awareness Month, and there is a tremendous amount to celebrate. Medicaid has served as a lifeline during the pandemic, providing health coverage to a record number of Americans at a time they need it most. Medicaid has also provided critical support to financially strained hospitals, especially in rural areas. As it stands, nearly 79 million, or nearly one in four Americans, have access to quality, affordable health care thanks to Medicaid.
Medicaid is the state’s largest health insurance program – and at a projected federal/state budget of more than about $5.2 billion, Medicaid supports not only West Virginia residents but also the health care infrastructure through more than $4 billion in federal matching dollars.
This Medicaid Awareness Month will both celebrate the importance of the program and underscore what’s in store for the future of American health care. West Virginians for Affordable Health Care will use the month of April to highlight four key issues:
- Week of April 1: Medicaid is Working
- Week of April 8: Women & Children
- Week of April 15: Substance Use Disorder
- Week of April 22: The Unwinding