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Second Opinions: West Virginia hospitals group, Democrats weigh in on Rural Health announcement

(Graphic Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

CHARLESTON — The West Virginia Hospital Association on Tuesday commended Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s efforts to get $200 million a year through a new federal program while the chairman of the West Virginia Democratic Party said that won’t cover the funding losses caused by the One Big Beautiful Bill.

Morrisey announced Monday the state will receive about $200 million in the first year through the Rural Health Transformation Program that was in the One Big Beautiful Bill adopted by Congress this year. The act earmarks $50 billion for the program over five years for all states and is administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

About $6.6 billion in federal funding over 10 years will be lost to the state according to an estimate from FamiliesUSA.org, said Mike Pushkin, chairman of the West Virginia Democratic Party. Most of the cuts are in Medicaid and cause service cuts, layoffs and closures, he said.

“Now, Gov. Morrisey is out there touting a $199 million rural health grant as proof Republicans are ‘committed’ to rural health,” Pushkin said. “But that’s exactly the scam West Virginians are tired of. It’s like a Ponzi scheme: they take $6.6 billion, hand you back $199 million and expect you to applaud. That’s not a commitment, that’s a press release. It’s a Band-Aid on a bullet wound.”

Coverage may be lost and people will still get sick, delay care and show up later and sicker and hospitals will treat them under federal law, Pushkin said. The result is more uncompensated care, more financial strain and more risk of closures in rural counties, he said.

The West Virginia Rural Health Association in July said West Virginia will lose $6 billion over the next 10 years and will result in the closure of hospitals and clinics and West Virginians losing access to health care.

Rich Sutphin, executive director of the West Virginia Rural Health Association, was not immediately available for comment.

The program is a significant opportunity to transform rural health care in West Virginia, Jim Kaufman, president & CEO of the West Virginia Hospital Association, said.

The association also will “continue working with Congress to mitigate the pending Medicaid cuts included in the (act),” Kaufman said. “When fully implemented, these cuts will reduce federal Medicaid funding to West Virginia by more than $1 billion annually.”

The association is grateful for Morrisey’s leadership in securing the critical resources for West Virginia’s rural healthcare system, Kaufman said.

“This nearly $1 billion investment over five years represents a transformational opportunity to address longstanding challenges in rural healthcare delivery,” he said.

Five areas are priorities of the funding, according to the hospital association: bringing more care within reach of rural communities; strengthening and sustaining the rural clinical workforce; modernizing rural health infrastructure and technology; driving structural efficiency and empowering community providers; and advancing innovative care models and payment reform.

The state has begun hiring staff in the Department of Health to administer the program, the association said.

“The (association) looks forward to working collaboratively with Gov. Morrisey, the Legislature, and the Department of Health on the implementation of this historic program,” Kaufman said. “The state’s community hospitals stand ready to partner in developing innovative solutions that will ensure every West Virginian has access to quality healthcare, regardless of where they live.”

Jess Mancini can be reached at jmancini@newsandsentinel.com

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