A health care informational event was held at the Parsons Senior Center on July 27th. The forum addressed the impact on West Virginians if cuts to Medicaid or The Affordable Care Act being proposed in the U.S. Senate were enacted.
Attendees learned that an estimated 171,000 West Virginians would loose health care coverage; rural clinics and hospitals would be in jeopardy; as many as 10,000 jobs would be lost in the state’s health care industry; and private insurance premiums especially for the elderly would increase.
Presenters at the Forum were Mr Vance Jackson, CEO of the Davis Health System, Elkins; Ms Lisa Diehl, Regional Coordinator, West Virginians for Affordable Healthcare, Richie Country; Ms. Ann Farmer, Youth Health Services, Tucker County; Mr. Phil Schenk, Partnership for Elder Living, Charleston; and Dr. Herb Myers (retired), Harmen. In addition to the panel, several local citizens spoke about the devastating impact on their families if healthcare services which they depend upon were eliminated by the federal government.
The Forum was sponsored by West Virginia Highlands Indivisible, a grass roots organization in Tucker County dedicated to holding our elected representatives responsible for furthering an agenda of inclusion and fairness on behalf of their constituents.
