The Kanawha County Commission wants residents to have a chance to tell Congress how a plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act might affect them.
The commission on Thursday decided send a letter to Congressional representatives asking for "meaningful public hearings" about the proposed GOP replacement to President Barack Obama's signature health care reform law, the Affordable Care Act.
A Senate version of the plan to replace the ACA, called the Better Care Reconciliation Act, would decrease the number of insured people by 22 million by 2026 and would cut Medicaid funding by 35 percent by 2036, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Both House and Senate versions of the legislation would reportedly provide billions in tax breaks for corporations and the wealthiest Americans.
Commission President Kent Carper called the Senate bill "ruthless and crude."
"Not having public hearings tells you all you need to know about this," Carper said after the commission meeting. "The fact that they want to give a huge unprecedented, big-league tax break ought to tell you something. How can you take a trillion dollars from the most needy, the poorest group of citizens - many of whom are working, by the way - and give it to the wealthiest one-tenth of one percent and say we can't afford to provide insurance?"
Of the more than 170,000 West Virginians who gained Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act, 17,000 are in Kanawha County, John Law, a public information officer for the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, told the commission. Another 3,000 in Kanawha County have purchased plans through the exchanges set up through the ACA. The health department had a community forum Wednesday to discuss concerns about the ACA and the BCRA.
Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., both have expressed disapproval of the Senate's version of the bill.
West Virginia Republican Reps. David McKinley, Alex Mooney and Evan Jenkins all voted in May for the American Health Care Act, a similar plan from the House of Representatives.
"I can't see any benefit to this state on this whatsoever, but those that want to pass it ought to have a public meeting, a meaningful public meeting, come in and explain the benefit of it," Carper said.
Carper said he's concerned that, after the Senate delayed voting on the bill this week until after the July 4 holiday, lawmakers will add opioid addiction treatment or training for out-of-work coal miners in an attempt to "Christmas tree" the bill so it passes.
"That is not going to solve the health care issues that many people face," Carper said. "I'm not even going to get into what this would do to women's care issues - that is criminal by itself."
Commissioner Ben Salango didn't comment on the legislation, saying Carper "covered it pretty well."
Commissioner Hoppy Shores was absent because he was out of town, Carper said.
In other business:
n The commission agreed to bid and pay for repairs to the ceiling in the Rand Community Center for no more than between $10,000 and $15,000.
n The commission agreed to contribute $12,000 from its general fund for repairs at Ken Ellis Park at Campbells Creek.
n The commission held a public hearing and agreed to sign off on an application from the Kanawha Public Service District for a $1.5 million HUD Community Development Block Grant for a sewer project from W.Va. 94 to Lens Creek in the Hernshaw area.
The $5 million project will provide new customers in some places.
n The commission voted to retain representation by the law office of Flaherty Sensabaugh Bonasso to represent Kanawha County Clerk Vera McCormick in a lawsuit. The lawsuit, brought by Cross Lanes couple Jerry and Elizabeth Martin, claims that McCormick knowingly granted Paige-Hunter Properties a void tax deed to the Martins' home.
Reach Lori Kersey at lori.kersey@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1240 or follow @LoriKerseyWV on Twitter.