Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Policies

West Virginia requires insurers to offer at least one Medicare Supplement policy to adults under sixty-five afflicted with disability.

Mini-COBRA Policies (small group)

West Virginia requires small employers (up to twenty employees) to extend health coverage for eighteen months following termination of employment.High-Risk PoolAccessWV is a public health insurance plan for West Virginia citizens. Citizens can become eligible through HIPAA eligibility, medical eligibility and HCTC eligibility.For more information, see: http://apps.wvinsurance.gov/accesswv/

Medicare Savings Program

West Virginia has three Medicare Savings Programs:

Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries (QMBs): For individuals with a monthly income under $903 and for couples with a monthly income under $1214, the state pays all premiums for Part B and all Co-Pays and Deductibles for Parts A & B.
Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries (SLMBs): For individuals with income under $1083 or couples with income under $1457, the state pays premiums for Part B.
Qualified Individuals (QIs): For individuals with income under $1218 or for couples with an income under $1639, the state pays premiums for Part B.

To qualify for these programs, participants must have assets below $6,600 or be part of a couple with assets below $9,910.

State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)
West Virginia SHIP provides assistance to Medicare beneficiaries through personal counseling sessions, by telephone, group presentations, and through the media. Counselors are located in the senior centers of all 55 counties and information is provided on a variety of topics, including Part A (hospital benefits), Part B (out-patient services), Part D (prescription drug coverage), preventive services, medigap policies, and Medicare Savings Programs. The program is also able to provide guidance with Medicare billing issues and appeals.

Low-Income Subsidy (“extra-help”) for Prescription Drugs
This program is a subsidy for Part D recipients with resources under $13,070 (or $26,120 for a couple) to receive money towards a Medicare prescription drug plan. The benchmark of support is different depending on which region of the country you live in. In West Virginia in 2012, the low-income subsidy was $34.32 per month.