HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 83

( Delegates By Delegates Perdue, Hatfield, Tucker, Susman, Marshall, Longstreth, Moore, Long, Hrutkay, Frederick, DeLong, Webster, Brown, Rowan, Hall, Ashley, Border, Schadler, Sumner and Lane )

(Originating in the Committee on Health and Human Resources)

[March 1, 2006]


Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance study the causes and adverse effects of children in this state who are not covered by healthcare insurance or otherwise lack access to adequate healthcare and to study potential methods to provide and to increase the availability of health care services and health care insurance to children in this state.

Whereas, According to a recent study by the WVU Institute for Health Policy Research, from 2001 to 2003, the number of children living in West Virginia decreased by five percent, while during that same time period, the number of children not covered by some form of healthcare insurance in this state increased by almost nine percent-from 28,371 to 30,884; and
Whereas, Conversely, the average enrollment in The West Virginia Children's Health Insurance program has steadily increased from an average of 8,617 children in 1999, to an average of 25,017 children in 2005; and
Whereas, There is a general consensus among the health care providers and health care insurers in this state that the cost of providing health care for uninsured children is shifted at least in part to patients who either have health care insurance from private providers or have the financial ability to pay for their care; and
whereas, Studies have shown that uninsured children are significantly more likely to miss school, while formerly uninsured children who enroll in a healthcare insurance program experience a significant increase in their performance in school; and
Whereas, According to the foregoing study, in 2001, 47.1 percent of uninsured children were uninsured because of cost; however, by 2003, cost was the reason for only 32.6 percent of uninsured children; in 2001, 15.4 percent of children were not insured due to employment-related issues such as parents being unemployed, or if employed, not having insurance available due to ineligibility or due to its prohibitive cost; in 2003, employer related issues were the cause of only 21.8 percent of uninsured children. These statistics strongly suggest that other significant reasons exist other than cost or employer related issues are contributing to the lack of health insurance coverage for children in this state; and
Whereas, Other states, including the state of Illinois, have adopted or are considering legislation to address the issue of children without health insurance or access to adequate medical care; and
Whereas, In order to provide effective methods and resources to provide adequate health care insurance or other access to adequate healthcare for a significant number of children in this state who, for various reasons, lack adequate health care, the question of why such a significant number of children do not have healthcare insurance coverage, particularly in instances where coverage is available, but is not utilized, must be answered; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby requested to study the causes and adverse effects of children in this state who are not covered by healthcare insurance or otherwise lack access to adequate healthcare and to study potential methods to provide and to increase the availability of health care services and health care insurance to children in this state ; and, be it
Further Resolved, The Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the Legislature, on the first day of the regular session, two thousand seven, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations together with drafts of any legislation to effectuate its recommendations; 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.