Tag: Department of Administration

Justice Confirms Cabinet Secretary Resigned Over Super PAC Involvement

Mark Scott, a cabinet secretary for Gov. Jim Justice, is resigning this month after questions about the legality of his involvement with a conservative super political action committee arose.

A cabinet secretary for Gov. Jim Justice resigned after questions emerged over whether he solicited campaign funds for a conservative super political action committee (PAC) “on government time,” Justice said during a virtual press briefing on Thursday.

Mark Scott has served as cabinet secretary for the West Virginia Department of Administration since November 2021, but news of his departure was made public this week.

In the months before his resignation, Scott served as chairman of a conservative super political action committee that fundraised and endorsed candidates for office in West Virginia.

Scott was announced chairman of Conservative Policy Action, a conservative super PAC, in February. Super PACs are political organizations that can endorse political candidates and fundraise around specific issues.

Kim Webber, executive director for the State Ethics Commission, told MetroNews that it is illegal for public employees to “use public resources for political campaigns.”

This includes soliciting funds while on the clock.

“That’s why I said that I believe that he got out probably over his skis and maybe messed up,” Justice said.

According to Justice, Scott said he did not realize what he was doing was illegal, and chose to resign to avoid causing further issues for the governor’s administration.

His resignation takes effect July 31. Scott’s letter of resignation has not yet been made public, but Justice said it would be released “without a question.”

Scott will be succeeded by John McHugh, who formerly served as deputy secretary of administration and director of the state’s General Service Division, Justice announced in a Thursday press release.

Hospitals Ask For Help With Rising Costs

The West Virginia Hospital Association is urging state and federal policymakers to help hospitals by increasing the amount of money provided to patients through government insurance programs.

As health care prices continue to rise, hospitals are feeling the squeeze.

The West Virginia Hospital Association is urging state and federal policymakers to help hospitals by increasing the amount of money provided to patients through government insurance programs.

Association President and CEO Jim Kaufman argued recently that West Virginia hospitals are at a disadvantage. He claimed 75 percent, or 3 out of 4 patients, receive their health insurance through government programs – Medicare, Medicaid, and the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA).

Based on enrollment numbers from PEIA, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and data released by the West Virginia Center for Budget and Policy, that number may be closer to 61 percent.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) found that as of March 2022, 75,292 West Virginians are enrolled in PEIA and 442,545 in Medicare. As of July 2021, 584,000 West Virginians received Medicaid. This, however, does not account for the state’s uninsured population.

Kaufman said each of these programs pay hospitals less than the cost of care and these payment rates are non-negotiable since they are set by the government.

A report from the American Hospital Association (AHA) in April highlighted necessary hospital expenses have seen an increase from 2019 to 2021. Labor – which accounts for as much as 50 percent of a hospital’s expenses – have increased 19 percent, while drug expenses are up 37 percent.

In an email to WVPB, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources – which manages the state’s Medicaid program – said the organization partners directly with the hospital association to ensure rates are appropriate.

Separately, the West Virginia Department of Administration – which manages PEIA – said via email they have increased reimbursements over the past two years, as well as pay 20 percent more for inpatient COVID cases. However, the email did state that reimbursements for inpatient hospital stays have not increased.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

Two Bids Submitted to Run W.Va. Courtesy Patrol

  State highways officials are evaluating two bids for a contract to operate the West Virginia Courtesy Patrol.

The bidders are the patrol’s longtime operator, Citizens Conservation Corps of West Virginia, and IncidentClear. IncidentClear operates service patrols in Massachusetts, Nevada, and Dallas County, Texas, along with similar programs in several large cities.

Department of Administration spokeswoman Diane Holley-Brown tells the Charleston Gazette that the state plans to have a new contract in place as of July 1.

The Courtesy Patrol provides roadside assistance to motorists in West Virginia.

Several legislators voiced concerns about high salaries paid to executives of the nonprofit Citizens Conservation Corps of West Virginia during last week’s special session. The Tomblin administration determined that the state doesn’t have the authority to set salaries for executives of nonprofits.

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