HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 37
(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss and Delegates Foster,
Long, Perdue and Leach)
Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to appoint
a select committee to conduct a study to determine the most
appropriate mechanisms to reach the goal of providing all
citizens of the State of West Virginia with comprehensive,
quality and affordable health care.
Whereas, It is a goal of the Legislature to see that all
citizens of the State have comprehensive quality and affordable
health care; and
Whereas, The cost of health care is growing at a faster rate
than any other area of service; and
Whereas, It is estimated that by the year 2008 a basic family
health insurance policy in West Virginia may cost at least sixteen
thousand dollars making it unaffordable for a majority of the
residents of the State; and
Whereas, The current health care system encourages cost
shifting to the citizens who are least able to afford the cost; and
Whereas, Twenty percent of the residents of West Virginia
between nineteen and sixty-four go without insurance at some time
during the year; and
Whereas, Those that need these services the most have the largest economic, social and educational barriers and are
ultimately least able to access the health-care system; and
Whereas, The uninsured lose their health and die prematurely;
and
Whereas, Uninsured children lose opportunity to develop
normally and achieve educationally due to medical conditions going
untreated; and
Whereas, Families lose their peace of mind because they live
with the uncertainty and anxiety of the medical and financial
consequences of a serious illness or injury; and
Whereas, Communities are at risk of losing health care capacity
because high rates of uninsured can cause hospitals to reduce
services, health providers to move out of the community and cuts in
public health programs due to the burden of providing care to those
who cannot pay; and
Whereas, Because the system is flawed and does not provide
basic health care services to all, the consequences include
unnecessary visits to the emergency room, more serious disease
outcomes due to lack of early intervention and huge financial
burdens to all the citizens of West Virginia; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby
requested to study the various mechanisms for reaching the goal
that the Legislature has established to provide comprehensive, quality and affordable health care to all of its citizens; and, be
it
Further Resolved, That the committee shall report to the
Legislature its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together
with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its
recommendations, no later than the first day of January, two
thousand five; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct the
study and to prepare appropriate reports, recommendations and
proposed legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the
Joint Committee on Government and Finance.
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