§9-4A-2b Expansion of coverage to children and terminally ill. - West Virginia Statutes

§9-4A-2b. Expansion of coverage to children and terminally ill.
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that steps be taken to expand coverage to children and the terminally ill and to pay for this coverage by fully utilizing federal funds. To achieve this intention, the department of health and human resources shall undertake the following:

(1) The department shall provide a streamlined application form, which shall be no longer than two pages, for all families applying for medical coverage for children under any of the programs set forth in this section; and

(2) The department shall provide the option of hospice care to terminally ill West Virginians who otherwise qualify for medicaid. The department shall provide quarterly reports to the legislative oversight commission on health and human resources accountability created pursuant to section four, article twenty-nine-e, chapter sixteen of this code regarding the program provided for in this subdivision. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the total number, by age, of newly eligible clients served, the average annual cost of coverage per client and the total cost, by provider type, to serve all clients.

(3) The department shall accelerate the medicaid option for coverage of medicaid to all West Virginia children whose family income is below one hundred percent of the federal poverty guideline. The department shall provide quarterly reports to the legislative oversight commission on health and human resources accountability regarding the program acceleration provided for in this subdivision. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the number of newly eligible clients, by age, served as a result of the acceleration, the average annual cost of coverage per client and the total cost of all clients served by provider type.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of section two-a of this article, the accruing interest in the medical services trust fund may be utilized to pay for the programs specified in subsection (a) of this section: Provided, That to the extent the accrued interest is not sufficient to fully fund the specified programs, the disproportionate share hospital funds paid into the medical services trust fund after the thirtieth day of June, one thousand nine hundred ninety-four, may be applied to cover the cost of the specified programs.

(c) Annually on the first day of January, the department shall report to the governor and to the Legislature information regarding the number of children and elderly covered by the programs in subdivisions (2) and (3) of subsection (a), the cost of services by type of service provided, a cost-benefit analysis of the acceleration and expansion on other insurers and the reduction of uncompensated care in hospitals as a result of the programs.