House of Delegates Minority Leader Tim Armstead worries about the cost Obama Care will put on the state ofWest Virginia.
“There’s a great deal of concern about where that money would come from,” said Armstead. “Particularly with people struggling and 60,000 people out of work inWest Virginia. I just don’t think that’s something we can move forward with.”
The Tomblin Administration’s team briefed lawmakers at the State Capitol Monday about what parts of the Obama Care plan they would pursue and would not pursue. The legislation puts states in a position to make several choices without mandates.
Armstead worries there will be too much temptation to put many onto state Medicaid rolls who already managed to get health care coverage from an employer.
“Going to put people on the public rolls who otherwise would be able to have private insurance or already have private insurance,” he said. “It may become more advantageous to employers to let them go and let the state take that funding burden over.”
It’s estimated the legislation could add as many as 100,000 new people to the West Virginia Medicaid rolls for coverage. Armstead says he doubts the state could absorb costs that big.
The issue is expected to be a major point of debate in the upcoming regular legislative session.