West Virginia lawmakers are considering adding a Medicaid "buy-in" program to provide insurance to low-income workers making too much to qualify for the program, the News and Sentinel reported Feb. 16.
The program would allow families with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level to buy into the program by paying a sliding-scale monthly premium based on income.
Lawmakers say the program would help workers avoid the "cliff effect," where individuals have to choose between taking a higher-paying job or losing their health coverage.
The West Virginia House Health and Human Resources committee recommended the bill pass. It heads to the House Judiciary Committee next, the News and Sentinel reported.