When people show you who they are, believe them. And don’t ever forget. Â
Both Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Jim Justice, R-W.Va., said they went to Congress to help West Virginians. However, they both voted Tuesday on a bill that will make life more expensive, unmanageable and vulnerable for all but the wealthiest of us. Â
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the average West Virginia resident will see an approximate $1,100 tax savings in the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,†but the wealthiest West Virginians, like Capito and Justice, will realize about a $50,000 savings. How is this looking out for the middle class and the most vulnerable families? Â
An $1,100 tax benefit doesn’t mean much when your health insurance is ripped away, and you can no longer afford the cost of your health care.
I told my friends -– and I believed it when I said this -– that in the end, our senators would not advance a bill that effectively dismantles the largest health insurance program in West Virginia.
They thought I was naive and gently chided me. They were right.Â
My daughter is 31. She is totally blind and has intellectual and developmental disabilities. Sarah benefits from the Medicaid Age and Disabled Waiver Program that provides in-home care and community support. Her relationship with her personal care worker is for her the equivalent of independence. It adds to the dignity of her life experience and allows us to sustain employment and long-term economic security for our family.Â
This “Big, Beautiful Bill†could jeopardize in-home personal care workers for thousands of our disabled citizens. Is this what we want?Â
On Tuesday, that’s exactly what Senators Capito and Justice did.Â
Not only did they lay the groundwork to dismantle health care for hundreds of thousands of West Virginians, their vote will saddle and hamstring our sons, daughters and grandchildren with backbreaking debt that will make it all but impossible for us to reclaim these losses. This will have negative consequences for generations to come. Â
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They lied when they said anyone who deserves to be on Medicaid will not be denied; that they were only going after waste, fraud and abuse. NOT TRUE. And West Virginians will feel the pain when these massive cuts go into effect.
This bill threatens the health and financial security of West Virginians in every community. The bill passed out of the Senate Tuesday will cause at least 69,000 West Virginians to lose health coverage. The reality will probably be much, much more.
If one closely examines the bill, they will see the blatant cruelty and disregard for West Virginia families, workers and small business entrepreneurs. It undermines critical consumer protections, wraps health coverage in red tape and makes health care unaffordable.Â
For children enrolled in CHIP, the bill will allow for annual and lifetime caps. There are currently no caps.Â
The bill attacks West Virginia’s wildly successful Medicaid Expansion which covers over 165,000 West Virginians. It will make it hard for these citizens to keep coverage by requiring them to reverify their eligibility every six months.
The bill will impose higher out-of-pocket costs and cumbersome verification procedures for both Medicaid and ACA Marketplace consumers. Â
The bill will eliminate automatic enrollment and shorten the annual enrollment period for Marketplace members threatening the coverage for 33,000 West Virginians who will no longer be eligible for automatic re-enrollment.Â
An estimated 16,000 additional West Virginians will become uninsured if the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits are allowed to expire at the end of the year. These tax credits help make plans affordable through the Marketplace. Â
It is hard not to feel betrayed by the representatives we sent to Washington. West Virginians don’t want a handout. We deserve better. Capito and Justice did not fight for us. We want a fair chance to live an informed, healthy, meaningful and productive life. Capito and Justice just made life harder. For you. For me. And for generations to come. Let’s not forget.
