West Virginia will expand its Medicaid program under President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act to cover the state’s relatively large population of low-income residents, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) announced Thursday.
“We anticipate expansion will allow us to provide insurance coverage to approximately 91,500 working West Virginians, significantly reducing the number of uninsured,” he said in a statement.
“A decision to expand today, however, does not end our efforts,” Tomblin added. “We must carefully watch federal efforts. If the program becomes unsustainable, particularly after three years, or the federal government changes its promised funding allocations, we must be prepared to take action to protect our state.”
Sixteen states remain undecided on whether to participate in the program, according to the Washington Post.
