CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Kanawha County Delegate Meshea Poore questioned those with the state Bureau of Public Health Wednesday on what has been done to prepare for the Affordable Care Act.
The bureau had a presentation about county boards of health to a legislative interim committee but Poore said she was more interested in learning what the bureau and individual counties have done when it comes to letting residents know about the provisions of ACA.
“Next time when you come before us we need to see some stuff in black and white and how we’re moving forward—not just what you do,” Poore, D-Kanawha, said. “You do a good job on what you are currently working with but we want to do the best job for our constituents.”
Poore said West Virginians need to be hearing about things like free prevention benefits that are provided under the Affordable Care Act. She said it appears county health departments are playing catch up.
“It always seems like we’re behind the planning process. We end up getting the money and we don’t know what we’re going to do with it and then we rush something together so we can get out there and spend the money,” Poore said.
The delegate said the new health care law shouldn’t have taken the Bureau of Public Health by surprise.
“We all knew ACA was coming. We all knew certain other programs were there and funding was coming and to hear now we don’t have a plan kind of upsets myself that we have to go back and report it to our constituents,” Del. Poore said.