[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6119040,"mediaKeyId","2715059-f757bdde0ff70454ba74ca30752b1454","parentId",2715059,"title","Committee advances hospital price-transparency bill after amendment to centralize reporting and require portal","audioSeconds",3553,"startMs",2839000,"endMs",6392000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2715059-f757bdde0ff70454ba74ca30752b1454&start=2839&end=6392","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2715059-f757bdde0ff70454ba74ca30752b1454/thumbnail_2839000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6119040/West-Virginia/Committee-advances-hospital-price-transparency-bill-after-amendment-to-centralize-reporting-and-require-portal","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6119040-0a7942b45eda3d9cc0fa3325e7003b10/orig.mp4?Expires=1770497697&Signature=cR7cSQnSvI-zcSsOhfaV9hdqCuI7dcNmmG5bzraAsI7V6FSPx4ZSCPRF211g0KluShCTTlfI9RKQ~337T29eFNegHKdC6XZDZNN~KWqNngkzvwxQlZIvb5Y6yHJWyjjeldy64t90DD-HW44gluyUMJO-LEcMBA-eysR~uuTFyuF2OWn05frR6cCheVUnEV2-Um1V3W2O1Hl~UlrdufI-W~Q7lpGgxAWTEp5N7dxT3Bc0oYgOu4nLAMlWKXEzq0AJMCXIuOAKewqyncz1EHDe7Jt0c6ADvLbO3zl5VFS~AeCahLaPVl67kPW4qgzrGLYbSkFGbkpmuOkmeOAmhr1D~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","West Virginia Legislature","date","2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate committee considered a committee substitute for Senate Bill 718 that would require hospitals to file annual financial reports and detailed charge information with the West Virginia Insurance Commission and would make parts of that information publicly available through a web-based portal. Committee members adopted an amendment to centralize reporting with the insurance commissioner, require a portal with a comparison tool, and move the effective date to allow time for implementation; the substitute as amended was adopted and reported to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation.

Committee counsel described the bill as a transparency measure that would require hospitals to submit statements of assets, liabilities, income and expenses, the chargemaster (schedule of rates), statements of ownership for persons with more than 5% ownership, copies of federal reports filed with CMS, lists of charges that exceed $150,000 and other specified materials. Counsel said the insurance commissioner would have authority to protect confidential or proprietary information while preserving the ability to analyze and compare rates by payer and procedure. The counsel also stated the measure includes rulemaking authority for general rulemaking and confidentiality-specific rules.

Hospital and industry testimony emphasized that much of the requested data is already submitted to existing bodies. Jim Kaufman, president and CEO of the West Virginia Hospital Association, told the committee the state Health Care Authority already collects annual financial statements and chargemasters and that federal price-transparency rules require hospitals to publish shoppable services and price estimators on their websites. Kaufman warned duplication could impose administrative burdens and costs on hospitals. He said some hospitals produce extensive files under federal rules — large spreadsheets with many rows and columns — and that insurers are often best placed to provide patients with individualized out-of-pocket estimates.

Advocacy and policy witnesses urged stronger transparency and consumer tools. Josh Rochampo of the Cicero Institute said greater reporting would provide insight for employers and the uninsured, improve visibility on uncompensated and charity care, and enable policy actions such as reference-based pricing that have reduced costs in some other states. He recommended public reporting of cash rates and better rewards for patients who choose lower-cost options.

Committee amendment and implementation concerns: Senators debated duplication with existing reporting to the Health Care Authority and the complexity of producing apples-to-apples cost comparisons given differences in payer contracts, plan designs, DRG and procedure variation, and geographic market conditions. The committee adopted an amendment to repeal the Health Care Authority reporting requirement and direct filing to the insurance commissioner instead; the amendment also clarified the statute should require a web portal with a consumer comparison tool and moved the bill's effective date to July 1, 2026, to allow the insurance commissioner time to staff or contract for portal development. The insurance commissioner’s office testified it lacks current staff capacity to build such a portal and would likely need to contract for development and add staff or expertise to vet and analyze hospital financial submissions.

Outcome and next steps: The committee adopted the committee substitute as amended by voice vote and reported the measure to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass. The transcript records extensive committee discussion, testimony from the West Virginia Hospital Association and from policy groups, an amendment directing centralized reporting to the insurance commissioner and the creation of a comparison tool, and the committee’s adoption of the measure and report motion by voice vote; no numeric roll-call tallies are recorded in the transcript.

What to watch: If enacted, the insurance commissioner would need to define technical reporting formats and confidentiality protections in rulemaking and to stand up or contract for a public portal capable of comparing facility rates by payer and procedure, adjusted as appropriate for plan design and patient circumstances.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","WV Senate Health and Human Resources Committee in Session Mar 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate committee adopted a substitute for Senate Bill 718 requiring hospitals to report financial statements and detailed charge information and directed the insurance commissioner to host a web-based portal with a comparison tool; the committee also amended the bill to funnel reporting to the insurance commissioner and to delay the effective date to allow implementation.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature WV, West Virginia","taxId",77714,"location","West Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6119045,"Jobs and Hope program briefs Senate committee on employment services for people in recovery and reentry",575,2160000,2735000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2715059-f757bdde0ff70454ba74ca30752b1454&start=2160&end=2735","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2715059-f757bdde0ff70454ba74ca30752b1454/thumbnail_2160000.jpg","/articles/6119045/West-Virginia/Jobs-and-Hope-program-briefs-Senate-committee-on-employment-services-for-people-in-recovery-and-reentry","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6119045-13ef10a26ed7fe4ada314210ebcf91fc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770497697&Signature=CeE8xyFF1fVZuedVbUvwrVcl0ak5v0y2EKpFXn77XPQoJRCB6iqvMHLPDetiyUY6mJ-DrLNCwafwMEArFdj-Cs~QJHm3PtGSa46MZVtj4q98zTFNIhPbKLX3zu5rrQIW0ierM76gRpB65GeyvngN-ot3LC6rM1SE~x2iPH~aFuF2uEGn5hnSTO1HCg5qMcRh5cbB1dyahM9gUQuuiRfrVuKSlxkogjiGM8vsaOitGSal9cbQfqS2qhkQs5BdBYbr-K-LO3WE0-7Iv14~cl9~b4lBeKoR~ulNRm07NthmCoZnZIt8ZlYprtaFjfE4Ir0pYepwJSfGHg9aoPb5RIfdDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representatives of Jobs and Hope West Virginia presented the program’s results and funding needs to the Senate committee. The program, established by the Legislature in 2019, provides employment and reentry supports for people in recovery from substance use disorder and for individuals impacted by the justice system.

The presenter (identified in the transcript as a program representative) said Jobs and Hope serves more than 1,500 active participants, has graduated 570 participants and reports assisting 8,722 individuals in gaining employment. The program also reported reinstating 2,529 driver’s licenses and processing 34 expungements. The presenter described partnerships with the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles, the West Virginia Military Authority for a heavy-equipment operator course, Legal Aid of West Virginia for expungements, Good News Mountaineer Garage for donated vehicles and driver testing, and Motive Care for nonemergency transportation.

Why it matters: the presenter told senators the program has demonstrable returns: an internal calculation in the program packet estimated $4 returned to the state for every $1 invested, and noted that gains in employment reduced SNAP dependency by an estimated $6.3 million annually. The program also has a reentry initiative operating in correctional education programs and reported 312 warm referrals from correctional education to Jobs and Hope transition agents.

Budget and risks: Senators questioned program staff about a reported budget reduction. The presenter said the program’s prior funding came from two state line items (one under the Office of Drug Control Policy for direct support services and another under vocational education). The presenter said lumping vocational funding reduced availability and created what she described as a roughly $2 million shortfall; if that shortfall is not addressed the program would cut direct supports such as tuition or training subsidies, wage reimbursement to participating employers, and some heavy-equipment training slots. The presenter said program operations and staff would continue but direct supports that reduce barriers to employment would face cuts.

Operational details: the presenter said graduates are defined as participants who have eliminated barriers they presented with, completed training or education, obtained employment and maintained employment for three to six months; graduates receive a certificate and the program offers follow-up supports and re-enrollment if needed. Senators asked about eligibility and whether SNAP recipients also had access to nonemergency medical transportation; the presenter clarified that Motive Care transports Jobs and Hope participants to work and training and that some SNAP recipients may also have Medicaid and thus access to Mode of Care transport, but eligibility varies by individual.

Next steps: senators thanked the presenter and asked follow-up questions about budget details and program outcomes. The transcript records the presentation and a question-and-answer period but no formal committee action tied to the presentation.","Jobs and Hope West Virginia presented program results and needs to the Senate committee, reporting placements, reinstated driver's licenses and a funding shortfall that could reduce direct supports for participants.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6119050,"Senate committee backs licensing for wilderness, outdoor youth programs after public testimony",1506,828000,2334000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2715059-f757bdde0ff70454ba74ca30752b1454&start=828&end=2334","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2715059-f757bdde0ff70454ba74ca30752b1454/thumbnail_828000.jpg","/articles/6119050/West-Virginia/Senate-committee-backs-licensing-for-wilderness-outdoor-youth-programs-after-public-testimony","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6119050-65e301455c7c9b18e2bc6c64ca6eb9b6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770497697&Signature=aLKBg4F6PiLWf6Y1Y9c-H7qzGH5l0SEF8VGbA2gSyeAwGb0Fpu-QVeg0OtgPlk~9dBbBTB6yQFoc-07IsyBGqictP1BaVINy-JVbX12flScRMozfd--s8jKC87ZbRYx5JnZ1EinR4qHVnvTlckg3l2nI~z9Pmvze8VRfTuRMSnsFmkEEojkiwqnGNGAZEaIk1P23YLRXAGwaYqivEPO285xrxWzC7PqN08FZ1FWTidDutQPFpdUso8UVPO9C5ER~3s32IHJhWPbi~YNaSMYTWHIAtPHNJBRO6lKklApfuTiketcCZTYwOnOAqoxT-CApp8QysXZ0MYdYnyhRFK9oUA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Senate committee on (date not specified in the transcript) approved a committee substitute for Senate Bill 817 to require licensure for residential programs tied to wilderness or outdoor experiences, expedition or intervention, boot-camp–style programs and therapeutic boarding schools that serve youth. Committee counsel summarized the bill and the committee adopted the substitute and voted to report it to the full Senate, with the original double-reference directing it next to Judiciary.

The measure, as explained by committee counsel, would require programs of this type to obtain an annual license from the Office of Inspector General through the Office of Health Facility Licensure and Certification, and would require legislative rulemaking to set minimum standards. “The bill requires licensure for a program in a residential environment that is associated with a wilderness or outdoor experience, expedition or intervention, a boot camp experience or other experience designed to stimulate characteristics of basic military training or correctional regimes, or an education or therapeutic boarding school,” counsel said during opening remarks.

Why it matters: supporters said the bill is aimed at preventing abuse in provider settings that historically have been unlicensed and at times provided treatment without oversight. The committee substitute added Mountaineer Challenge Academy to the list of exempt facilities, specified that licensure would be annual, allowed the Office of Inspector General to set licensure fees in rulemaking, and spelled out enforcement tools including civil monetary penalties, admission bans and injunctive relief.

Public witnesses during the committee hearing urged clarity on the bill’s scope and on practical implementation in rural areas. Sarah Riley, executive director of High Rocks Educational Corporation, said she broadly supported the bill’s intent to prevent abuse but asked the committee to clarify the bill’s application to blended programs that combine recreation, education and leadership development. Riley said programs operating in rural counties may face technical limits, for example with video communication requirements: “I think the intention of this bill I support…this is about trying to prevent child abuse, specifically in programs that are really designed to be behavioral health treatment,” she said, and asked for language narrowing the bill to programs with a therapeutic element.

Caroline Cole of 11 11 Media Impact (Paris Hilton’s social impact organization) urged passage and described national work on abuse in unregulated youth residential programs. “I urge this committee to pass 8 1 7…let’s make sure that these kids are safe when they need help,” Cole told the committee.

What the bill would require and exclude: The committee counsel said the bill would require background checks for staff who have direct access to participants, establish rulemaking to address use of restraints, suicide-prevention guidelines, complaint and critical-incident procedures, and require programs to allow parents to remove a youth unless prohibited by law or court order. The bill contains enumerated exclusions for recreational youth camps and faith-based residential school programs, and the committee substitute clarified the exemption language and added Mountaineer Challenge Academy to the exclusions.

Committee action and next steps: By voice vote the committee adopted the committee substitute and the vice chair moved the substitute be reported to the full Senate with the recommendation that it pass and be first referred to the Judiciary Committee (double committee reference). The committee recording shows voice votes; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript.

Implementation questions and concerns: Senators asked the counsel which state office would administer the licensing (the Office of Inspector General via OFLAC), how the rules would be developed (legislative rulemaking), whether the measure targets children’s residential placements (it is geared to youth programs), and how the bill would treat existing facilities or school exemptions. Counsel confirmed that the Office of Health Facility Licensure and Certification would issue annual licenses and inspect annually. Committee members also raised practical concerns about technology requirements for weekly confidential video contact in rural areas where connectivity is limited.

The bill will proceed to the full Senate with a Judiciary referral for further consideration; the transcript records committee adoption of the substitute and the reporting motion but does not include a numeric roll-call vote.","The Senate committee approved a committee substitute for Senate Bill 817 to require annual licensure and rulemaking for residential wilderness, outdoor expedition and therapeutic boarding programs serving youth, with exemptions and penalties; the measure was reported to the full Senate with a referral to Judiciary.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":46,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6119036,"Committee approves House bill altering minor medical-record access, rejects broader withholding amendment",803,7195000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2715059-f757bdde0ff70454ba74ca30752b1454&start=6392&end=7195","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2715059-f757bdde0ff70454ba74ca30752b1454/thumbnail_6392000.jpg","/articles/6119036/West-Virginia/Committee-approves-House-bill-altering-minor-medical-record-access-rejects-broader-withholding-amendment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6119036-f7fcd2c6091f13b0a0615d653a9c7fed/orig.mp4?Expires=1770497697&Signature=ntvuhD~S6ldk4jZhCXCoqlsNkK7C7J~Pcqh362wel0Ieue2rZLucxYm0dK7v2QkLt-A9uKPstsQE5WeGfc-M7YmbSjiRkHpTrWz1vsMomCm7Vz7IId1T5KnPNveKaaQF-nhLTawGPFXO2v4FMx4zstuOSMJ3wK5XYxUXQcIImV4r53VQF4XaereYpLn0qls3HB8iexjecY1GKNUjp~yaX3kExBhYVtEAZ16jCDUdVogvPUUzy0YmNP~auGDokIwF8yLoWfAqWJSvLswkbZdjLiTGzSAIIOBuWVVrdBPQWGCZ88oWRGo9nV-NIso2Zrn2IEvoKKF6JOeg06rzucO-Ig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The committee considered House Bill 2402, which would change access to a minor’s medical records by limiting some current confidentiality exemptions. Counsel described the bill as removing certain statutory exemptions that currently require prior minor consent for release of records related to birth control, prenatal care, drug rehabilitation or venereal disease and removing the exemption tied to the AIDS-related testing confidentiality act. The bill also addressed disclosures by child-placing agencies and clarified that a parent, guardian, foster parent or kinship placement generally may not be denied access to a minor’s medical records.

Committee and witness exchange: Counsel and senators described the bill as the House version with minor changes. Pediatrician John Frona, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at CAMC/Charleston, testified in opposition on clinical and public-health grounds. Frona said the existing law allowing limited confidentiality is aligned with national medical practice and recommended maintaining carve-outs that allow confidential care conversations between adolescents and providers, which can encourage care-seeking for sensitive issues such as sexual health and substance use. “I think…this bill should not be coming out of committee because I think it’s in search of a problem that doesn’t exist,” Frona told the committee and said changing the law “really disrupts the care that we provide.”

Committee action and amendment: During deliberations senators discussed the balance between parental access to records for routine care (fractures, infections, etc.) and the need for confidentiality in sensitive clinical circumstances. One senator proposed an amendment to permit physicians to withhold records when, in their professional judgment, disclosure would endanger a child or otherwise harm the child’s health; the committee rejected that proposed amendment in a recorded voice vote in which the chair announced the noes prevailed. The committee had earlier adopted a prior clarifying amendment (from hospital association input) that narrowed a ‘mature minor’ provision so parents must be notified, per the transcript.

Outcome: The committee voted to report H.B. 2402 as amended to the full Senate with a recommendation to pass. The transcript records voice votes and committee discussion; the committee declined to adopt the broader withholding amendment offered during floor debate.

What to watch: The bill narrows certain confidentiality protections for minors and will raise questions during full-Senate consideration about how clinical confidentiality exceptions should be preserved for public-health and therapeutic reasons; pediatric testimony urged caution and recommended retaining protections that encourage adolescents seeking sensitive care to speak with clinicians.","The committee adopted a House bill (H.B. 2402) to expand parental access to minors' medical records by removing certain confidentiality exemptions, but rejected an amendment that would have allowed physicians to withhold records on narrow clinical grounds; the committee reported the bill to the full Senate with recommendation to pass.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee advances hospital price-transparency bill after amendment to centralize reporting and require portal

Jobs and Hope program briefs Senate committee on employment services for people in recovery and reentry

Senate committee backs licensing for wilderness, outdoor youth programs after public testimony

Committee approves House bill altering minor medical-record access, rejects broader withholding amendment