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AARP West Virginia’s Capitol Advocacy Team, a dedicated group of volunteers from communities across the state, did an outstanding job in maintaining a strong presence with lawmakers and leaders during the 60-day regular session of the West Virginia Legislature that concluded on Saturday, March 11.
For the first time in nearly three years, AARP West Virginia state advocacy volunteers from communities across the Mountain State returned in-person to Charleston to advocate on the issues important to 50-plus West Virginians and their families.
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Capitol Advocacy Team members engaged in-person with lawmakers and legislative staff at the State Capitol during the 2023 West Virginia Legislature regular session, January 11 - March 11 . Team members not present in Charleston represented AARP as "virtual red coat" advocacy volunteers, engaging with lawmakers and participating in daily legislative activity from their homes, remaining visible and influential in making positive change for 50-plus West Virginians and their families.
Here are some of the highlights of the work accomplished by AARP West Virginia volunteers on behalf of 50-plus West Virginians and their families during the 2023 West Virginia Legislature.
Increasing Prescription Drug Access and Affordability
Diabetes has escalated to epidemic proportions in the Mountain State. According to 2022 data from the Centers on Disease Control and Prevention, more than 223,000 West Virginians have been diagnosed with diabetes by a health care professional. The direct medical costs attributed to diabetes in the state each year exceed $1.7 billion, while nearly $640 million in indirect costs annually are attributable to the disease.
The rising cost of prescription drugs, specifically insulin, remains a significant financial hardship for West Virginians 50-plus. From 2009 to 2019, the price of insulin tripled even though there has been no change in the product. As a result, many dependent upon this life saving and life sustaining medication ration their doses or go without, often with deadly consequences.
Senate Bill 577, reducing the co-pay cap on insulin and devices and permitting purchase of testing equipment without a prescription, passed by wide bipartisan margins in both chambers.
The legislation was completed in the final hours of the 2023 session. Gov. Justice hosted a April 19 bill signing ceremony (left) at the State Capitol, where AARP Capitol Advocacy Team volunteers and staff joined him to commemorate the passage of the legislation.
Under the new law, cost sharing for a 30-day supply of a covered prescription insulin drug is limited to $35, including situations where the covered person is prescribed more than one insulin drug, regardless of the amount or type of insulin needed to fill such covered person’s prescription. Cost sharing for a 30-day supply of covered devices is limited to $100, including situations where the covered person is prescribed more than one device. Each cost-share maximum is covered regardless of the person's deductible, copayment, coinsurance or any other cost sharing requirement.
States, including West Virginia, have taken action to address the issue. The West Virginia Legislature took a significant first step in 2020 when it enacted House Bill 4543 to cap insulin co-pay costs at $100. Approximately 25 other states – including neighboring Kentucky, Virginia, and the District of Columbia have enacted similar laws that limit out-of-pocket expenses for insulin.
With this year’s passage of SB 577, West Virginia is now the only state in the country to cap copays at $35 in the aggregate, regardless of quantity or type. Five other states (Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine and Vermont) cap co-pays in the aggregate, but the cost sharing minimums in those states are set at $100.
In addition to SB 577, the House of Delegates also passed House Resolution 18. urging the Congress of the United States to enact federal law that allows for the expiration on pharmaceutical product patents in certain instances.
Easing Financial Stress, Ensuring Financial Resilience To Take Control Of Retirement
Over the past two years, AARP West Virginia has worked closely with NRTA and its state affiliate, the West Virginia Association of Retired School Employees, to ensure the rights and benefits of current pension recipients are enhanced and not undermined.
Senate Bill 237 provided a one-time bonus and increasing the minimum monthly benefit for certain state retirees.
This legislation provides a one-time $1,500 bonus to state retirees over age 70, who have at least 20 years of total service as of July 1, 2023, and whose monthly annuity is less than $1,000.
The legislation also increases the minimum monthly benefit to $1,000 for those age 70 with at least 25 years of service.
More than 5,000 retired state employees and teachers will receive this bonus. While the onetime bonus is a good first step, there are many who won’t qualify and need financial relief.
AARP will continue to fight to ensure the rights and benefits of current pension recipients are not undermined or reduced. We will continue to encourage state and local governments to make their annual contributions to retirement systems. We will also continue to support efforts that protect the long-term viability of existing defined benefit plans and the financial security of retirees.
Ensuring Access to Essential Services
This year’s Budget Bill, House Bill 2024, maintains support for critical services that promote greater responsiveness, opportunity, and commitment to the needs of older West Virginians.
AARP worked to preserve funding for the numbers of individuals served or eligible to receive Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS), as demonstrated by the Budget Bill.
AARP also advocated to provide sufficient funding for the state's Aged and Disabled Waiver (ADW) program. AARP will continue to call on state policymakers to expand these home and community-based programs, which provide vital relief and support to individuals and their family caregivers.
In the past five years, the number of individuals served in their homes has increased by 50 percent. AARP believes that it is important to direct resources to areas that achieve the most impact for family caregivers and older West Virginians. Our long-term advocacy on this issue ensures that older adults can live independently in their homes - where they want to be - for as long as possible. This also makes more financial sense than costly institutional care.
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