Estimates suggest West Virginia hospitals may lose nearly $900 million a year with changes coming to the Medicaid program. Those changes aren’t set to take effect until after the midterm elections next year.
But through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Trump Administration’s Big Beautiful Bill provides a way to replace some of that money.
If approved, West Virginia will receive $100 million a year for five years through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP).
Gov. Patrick Morrisey is calling on West Virginians to provide input to help shape the state’s application.
“I also want to make sure that we’re putting our best foot forward to make a case to CMS that West Virginia is doing incredibly innovative work to move the needle,” he said at a Thursday press conference.
Morrisey said he wants to use this program to help improve health outcomes in the state.
“We have an opportunity to reverse some of the terrible health trends that we’ve seen that have plagued our state for a long time. And I think the key to our application is to really go in and focus on things that we can meaningfully improve,” he said. “You’ve all heard me say that it doesn’t do any good to beat your chest about one win or another. What matters is moving the needle and going from 50 to 40 to 30 to 20 to 10 and beyond, and that’s what we’re certainly looking to do.”
The final deadline for the RHTP application is Nov. 5. All public comments must be received by Sept. 29.
More information is available at governor.wv.gov under the page ‘Rural Health Transformation Program’ and responses may be sent to RHTP@wv.gov.
