Protect Medicaid Coverage for Thousands of West Virginians
The Issue
Tens of thousands of West Virginians could lose their health insurance starting early next year. Gov. Patrick Morrisey and West Virginia Department of Health Secretary Arvin Singh have the power to soften the blow, and the time to act is now.
A federal law passed in 2025 cuts nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) over ten years. Researchers at the Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation estimate that between 40,000 and 75,000 West Virginians on Medicaid will lose coverage by 2028. The biggest losses are expected to come from new work requirements. First-time applicants must meet them starting in January, and current members must meet them when they renew, beginning in March.
For many rural families, following those rules is far from simple. The head of the West Virginia Association of Free Clinics says jobs and volunteer openings are scarce in many areas, many people can't afford a car or gas, and the nearest store can be an hour's drive away. Free clinics across the state are already raising money to prepare for a wave of newly uninsured patients.
Meanwhile, the state is awarding almost $200 million this year through the Rural Health Transformation Program. A state health spokesperson has said that money isn't meant to replace Medicaid. "This money's coming in, but it's not going to make up for the loss of coverage," according to Adam Searing, a research professor at the Georgetown Center for Children and Families. A former leader of the West Virginia Hospital Association estimates the state's hospitals could lose $1 billion a year under the same law.
Gov. Morrisey and Secretary Singh should publicly share how many West Virginians are expected to lose coverage, fund hands-on enrollment help so eligible people aren't dropped over paperwork, apply every available exception for people without nearby jobs or transportation, and steer rural health dollars to the hospitals and free clinics that will care for the newly uninsured.
Sign the petition to protect health coverage for West Virginians before the first cuts hit in January.
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The Issue
Tens of thousands of West Virginians could lose their health insurance starting early next year. Gov. Patrick Morrisey and West Virginia Department of Health Secretary Arvin Singh have the power to soften the blow, and the time to act is now.
A federal law passed in 2025 cuts nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) over ten years. Researchers at the Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation estimate that between 40,000 and 75,000 West Virginians on Medicaid will lose coverage by 2028. The biggest losses are expected to come from new work requirements. First-time applicants must meet them starting in January, and current members must meet them when they renew, beginning in March.
For many rural families, following those rules is far from simple. The head of the West Virginia Association of Free Clinics says jobs and volunteer openings are scarce in many areas, many people can't afford a car or gas, and the nearest store can be an hour's drive away. Free clinics across the state are already raising money to prepare for a wave of newly uninsured patients.
Meanwhile, the state is awarding almost $200 million this year through the Rural Health Transformation Program. A state health spokesperson has said that money isn't meant to replace Medicaid. "This money's coming in, but it's not going to make up for the loss of coverage," according to Adam Searing, a research professor at the Georgetown Center for Children and Families. A former leader of the West Virginia Hospital Association estimates the state's hospitals could lose $1 billion a year under the same law.
Gov. Morrisey and Secretary Singh should publicly share how many West Virginians are expected to lose coverage, fund hands-on enrollment help so eligible people aren't dropped over paperwork, apply every available exception for people without nearby jobs or transportation, and steer rural health dollars to the hospitals and free clinics that will care for the newly uninsured.
Sign the petition to protect health coverage for West Virginians before the first cuts hit in January.
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Petition created on September 29, 2026