HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 36
(By Delegates Perdue, Argento, Blair, Duke, Hutchins, Iaquinta,
Klempa, Kominar, Martin, Miley, Moore, Pethtel, Porter, Schadler,
Staggers, Tucker and Yost)
Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to appoint
a select interim committee to study health care reform
options, including measures to improve the health status of
West Virginians, measures to reduce the cost of health care,
and options for extending health care insurance to uninsured
West Virginians.
Whereas, West Virginia citizens engage in some of the
unhealthiest lifestyles in the United States. For example, in
1990, the West Virginia rate of adult obesity was 15.0%, compared
with a U.S. rate of 11.6%. By 2000, the state rate was 23.2%
nationally. Being overweight or obesity are known risk factors for
heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, gallbladder disease,
osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and other breathing problems, and some
cancer (uterine, breast, colorectal, kidney and gallbladder); and
Whereas, West Virginia has one of the highest rates of tobacco
use in the United States with 27.3% of West Virginians who smoke
and 7.7% who use smokeless tobacco; and
Whereas, West Virginia ranked first in the United States in the
prevalence of hypertension with more than a third of adults (33.6%)
having been diagnosed with high blood pressure; and
Whereas, Fewer than two in ten West Virginians consume the
recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables per day one of
the lowest ranking in the country; and
Whereas, West Virginia ranked first in the United States in the
prevalence of arthritis at 37.2% of the population; and
Whereas, The inflationary cost of health care exceeds growth in
wages and exceeds the overall rate of inflation; and
Whereas, The high cost of health care has forced employers,
particularly small employers, to drop health insurance coverage for
their employees; and
Whereas, West Virginia has one of the highest percentage of
West Virginians who are uninsured according to the United States
Census Bureau with 322,000 West Virginians uninsured for all of
2005, an increase of 11% over the previous year; and
Whereas, The American College of Physicians have determined
that "uninsured Americans tend to live sicker and die earlier than
privately insured Americans," and the Institute of Medicine has
concluded that 18,000 uninsured Americans die prematurely each
year; and
Whereas, The uninsured delay seeking treatment, have their
illness diagnosed at a more advanced stage, and are frequently treated in the most expensive settings possible, i.e., emergency
rooms and hospitals; and
Whereas, West Virginia hospitals in 2005 provided slightly more
than half a billion dollars in uncompensated health care,
increasing the cost of health care to privately insured West
Virginians; and
Whereas, The state insurance programs may not pay cost of the
health care provided to their insured by physicians and hospitals,
further increasing the cost of health care to privately insured
West Virginians; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Legislature hereby request the Joint Committee on
Government and Finance to appoint a select interim committee to
study health care reform options, including measures to improve the
health status of West Virginians, measures to reduce the cost of
health care, and options for extending health care insurance
coverage to uninsured West Virginians; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Select Committee on Health Care
will report to the 2008 regular session of the Legislature on its
findings, conclusions and recommendations, including drafts of any
recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary
to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this
study, to prepare all reports and draft legislation be paid from the legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government
and Finance.
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