By Charles Young, The Exponent Telegram
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WV News) — Some West Virginians will be removed from the Medicaid rolls because of changes enacted by the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” according to West Virginia’s commissioner of medical services.
It’s not yet known how many of the more than 400,000 Medicaid recipients in the state will be affected, but Medicaid enrollment is likely to go down once new work requirements — also known as “community engagement” requirements — go into effect on Jan. 1, 2027, said Commissioner Cindy Beane.
“I do anticipate that we will see some of our enrollment go down for the community engagement,” she said. “I don’t know that everyone will be able to comply or will comply with that, so I do anticipate some people coming off those rolls.”
Beane, who testified during Monday’s meeting of the West Virginia Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance, said her office is working to formulate estimates of how many current enrollees will be affected.