HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Number 98

(By Pack, J. Barach, Barnhart, Bates, Dean, Ferrell, Fleischauer, Forsht, Griffith, Jeffries, D., Mallow, Miller, Pack L., Pushkin, Reed, Rohrbach, Rowan, Summers, Ward, G., Walker)

[April 5, 2021]

For West Virginias Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) Finance Board to examine how they can enhance reimbursement rates to providers.

Whereas, PEIA Finance Board members are appointed by the governor and The State Department of Administration cabinet secretary serves as chairman of the board; and

Whereas, The PEIA Finance Board creates a financial plan, including reimbursement rates, financial statements, and Legislative Session updates; and

Whereas, Reimbursement rates refer to the amount of money that PEIA pays to doctors and other healthcare providers when they provide medical services to a PEIA beneficiary; and

Whereas, Healthcare provider is a person or company that provides a healthcare service to you, and medical providers don’t just include doctors and nurses, but also pharmacies, hospitals, labs, clinics, and many other entities; and

Whereas, The rate at which PEIA reimburses providers is generally less than the amount billed or the amount that a private insurance company might pay; and

Whereas, PEIA provides health insurance coverage for over 200,000 West Virginians, it covers state employees, higher education employees and their retirees, plus some county and city governments; and

Whereas, Enhanced reimbursement rates could potentially increase availability of providers for these PEIA enrollees; and

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby requested to study how local health departments are funded and supported; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report back its findings to the full legislature by the first day of the 2022 Regular Session; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.