Manchin supports new requirements for the expanded child tax credit that would likely end the benefit for thousands of families in his state.

By Yeganeh Torbati

 and 

Kyle Swenson

 

October 24, 2021 at 7:00 a.m. EDT

Ruth Jones, left, and husband James Jones, right, pose for a portrait with grandchildren Ayricah Clark, 10, and Nilique Jones, 17, near their home in Charleston, W.Va., on Oct. 21. The Joneses, both in their early 60s, are raising their grandchildren. (Lexi Browning for The Washington Post)

Uninsured and under-insured, these are the people free clinics serve throughout the state of West Virginia.  In the northern panhandle area, even some counties in Ohio are served by the local Health Right clinic in Wheeling. The eastern panhandle Good Samaritan is the only facility of its kind in the most populated portion of the state.  North Central West Virginia can find health care services at Health Access, Inc., in Clarksburg.  The following is just a short review of the many services, health care, and wellness programs these free clinics provide for residents of our communities, even outside of a global pandemic.

Michelle McMullen from Huntington, WV knows a thing or two about health care and insurance.  Not only has she had her own personal experiences with Medicaid and other forms of insurance, she is also a supervisor for a mental health program in the region giving her expertise and insight into the medical and insurance systems.

Part One: The Diagnosis

In our country, there are Americans who have health insurance thanks to the social safety net programs, such as Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program; there are older population adults who are able to pull from the social and health insurance program of Medicare to provide for some of their financial healthcare needs; we have folks who are on disability at all ages who qualify for Medicaid as well; and, there are some lucky working adults who have high enough incomes to afford health care insurance for their families or they have employers who found a reasonable healthcare insurance policy for their team members.  Some folks can afford a decent policy through the Affordable Care Act state marketplace with the help of premium subsidies.  But for some, none of these options are available and/or affordable.  They fall into a hole in our crazy patchwork quilt of health insurance options.  And in that hole, they risk their health, a future of debt, and even their lives.

Image Retrieved – May 26^th, 2020 (Twitter)

Superstitious folks might look at a clock at 11:11 and make a wish.  If Bonnie Swan was superstitious, she would say her wishes are finally coming true.  

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic many people have lost jobs or been furloughed, but Bonnie has been lucky. She has a new job as a Child Protective Service worker for the great state of West Virginia.  The 12-week training program is exciting for her as she will be serving the community and helping children.  And she will have health insurance via the state sponsored PEIA program.  Affordable insurance is one of the reasons Bonnie is happy to take on this new and challenging job. 

Challenges and Medicaid Support During COVID-19

Overcoming obstacles is what West Virginians do daily, even outside of the recent global pandemic we are all facing. 

Willow Stidham was one of 20 babies born at CAMC on April 7^th, 2020, according to her mother Brook.  As the third child to this family of now five, Medicaid provided insurance coverage and costs for the pregnancy and baby Willow was automatically signed up for the program as well. 

There were both pros and cons to having to give birth during the statewide lockdown for the COVID-19 pandemic, “I feel like it could have been better, the nurses were stressed and seemed on edge because of the virus” but Brook understood and acknowledge, “the experience was different.”

The Health Care for All Campaign is working to propose more Medicaid support and protection during the state legislative session for 2021.  Let us continue to advocate and protect this life saving and life-giving programs in policy, elections, and by sharing our health care stories.