Federal grant improves Medicaid services in WV - WOWK 13 Charleston, Huntington WV News, Weather, Sports

Federal grant improves Medicaid services in WV

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A federal grant, totaling nearly $1 million, will help the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources improve Medicaid services in the state.

The $999,947 grant comes from the Department of Health and Human Services' Adult Medicaid Quality Grant Program, which helps states develop a system of data reporting and collection to evaluate the quality of health care provided to Medicaid recipients. This data allows states to evaluate how they can improve care for Medicaid beneficiaries.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., has championed Medicaid services for West Virginia. He said the state can use the money to further gather information that can help improve the quality of life for many West Virginians.

"Making sure that every American has access to quality, affordable health care is at the heart of the health reform law, and to realize that goal we must look at what can be done better," he said. "This grant gives West Virginia the opportunity to assess the care Medicaid enrollees are receiving and use that information to strengthen the quality of that care and the overall Medicaid program."

More than 438,000 West Virginians, or 23 percent of the population, are enrolled in the Medicaid program.

The Adult Medicaid Quality Grant program was created by the Affordable Care Act, which included provisions that invest in the development and reporting of quality of care measures and create incentives for providers who meet quality goals or show progress in improving patient outcomes.