Tag: Government

W.Va. health exchange enrollment numbers expected next week

After an influx on inquiries in the first 24 hours of the health care exchange, an official at the state Department of Health and Human Resources says the federal government is working to fix bugs and increase capacity both online and at their national call center.
Assistant to the Secretary at the DHHR Jeremiah Samples said Thursday the federal government did experience some technical issues in the first 24 hours of the online exchange. He accounted the issues to the large number of Americans looking for information about health care coverage.

“The feds are saying they’ve had 7 million independent hits from across the country on the federal exchange itself,” Samples said, but added they’ve worked to increase capacity on the site to account for the numbers.

As for the federal call center, a second option for people looking to sign up for health coverage, Samples said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services received more than 295,000 calls the first day, but have also added phones lines to decrease the wait time.

“The first day we were hearing wait times as long as a half an hour,” he said, “and they’re saying that the wait times at the call center have been cut in half since the launch, especially over the last 24 hours.”

As far as the number of West Virginians who have taken advantage of the exchange, the state won’t receive those numbers until early next week, but Samples could say a majority of people using in-person assistors at county DHHR offices are of lower incomes and find they are eligible for Medicaid under the state’s program expansion.

“That’s probably because there’s more experience in that low income population dealing with the DHHR offices,” he said.

As for the large number of not just West Virginians, but Americans who have shown interest in the health care marketplace, Samples said he’s not surprised about the surge in interest.

“We anticipated that there would be three major rushes to assess what coverage was available by the public, Samples said. “Here October 1st. We also anticipate around January 1 because that’s when the coverage actually begins and then towards March 31 toward the end of the open enrollment period.”

He based that assessment on the annual trend the DHHR sees during open enrollment for Medicaid.
 

McKinley hoping for stronger collaboration on shutdown negotiations

First District Congressman David McKinley says he’s wanting better communication with members of the Senate, on how to end the government shutdown that’s…

First District Congressman David McKinley says he’s wanting better communication with members of the Senate, on how to end the government shutdown that’s left close to one million federal workers unable to work. McKinley says the issues behind negotiations deal with health care and the economy.

McKinley is frustrated that more negotiations haven’t occurred with members of the House and Senate to this point. McKinley says he’s also concerned the mess won’t be fixed by the time the debt limit could be increased, which is also fast approaching. He says the Senate needs to have a conference with the House.

“Our endgame is to have negotiations. We want to sit in a room, we’re ready to try to do that. This is not about the budget; this is about our economy. The economy is still too soft,” he said.

McKinley says finger pointing has to stop, and when asked by reporters who he felt was responsible for a shutdown, refused to say. He says the priority has to be figuring out a solution to immediately get government open again, which he hopes will include some way to get to a balanced budget.

McKinley says he’s also not going to support the so-called “clean resolution,” which would fund the government, but has no added language about the Affordable Care Act.

Manchin calls Boehner to allow House vote, end shutdown

Today U.S. Senator Joe Manchin delivered a speech on the Senate floor to discuss the government shutdown. He apologized for ongoing political antics and…

 

 

  

Today U.S. Senator Joe Manchin delivered a speech on the Senate floor to discuss the government shutdown. He apologized for ongoing political antics and reiterated the call for House Speaker John Boehner to call a vote on a clean continuing resolution bill.

“I can tell you right now, the unanimous consensus on the House is that if John Boehner would allow the House to vote on the clean CR, it’ll pass today,” Manchin said in a conference call after his speech.

Senator Manchin says he’s appalled by the view from his front-row seat in Washington. He says he believes it would have been an appropriate measure to legislate a transitional year where no individual fines would have been applicable in the new Affordable Care Act plan, but he says resorting to shutting down the government is a careless act of self-destruction in perilous times.

“If market forces start working against us, there might be other forces that start causing shut downs or delays or inconveniences or hardships that we have no control over,” he warned.

Manchin says he continues to meet daily with other members of Congress to find a breakthrough and worries that in the meantime, the shutdown is costing upwards of $300 million a day.

Mingo Co. judge pleads guilty, resigns from office

Judge Michael Thornsbury pleaded guilty to federal charges for violating a Mingo County man’s Constitutional rights when attempting to cover up a drug deal.

The man, identified as G.W., was advised by his attorney to provide the FBI with information that Sheriff Eugene Crum bought drugs from him. Thornsbury was attempting to cover up the purchase and was charged with two counts of conspiracy for the scheme.

Along with pleading guilty, Thornsbury tendered his resignation as Mingo County Circuit Judge and consented to disbarment by the state Office of Disciplinary Counsel.

“A judge swears an oath to uphold the Constitution and to abide by the highest standards of integrity. For a judge to have violated someone’s Constitutional rights is really beyond the pail,” said u.S. Prosecuting Attorney Booth Goodwin after the hearing, “but to violate someone’s rights in order to obstruct a federal investigation, that’s really unthinkable.”

Thornsbury faces a maximum 10 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.

Prosecutors agreed to also dismiss separate charges in which the former judge tried to frame his secretary’s husband.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 13, 2014. He was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond.

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