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Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Restructures Medical Services Advisory Council and Creates Medicaid Beneficiary Council
Last action · February 18, 2026: To Health and Human ResourcesSponsor: Robbie Morris
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What This Bill Proposed
Senate Bill 989 dissolves the current West Virginia Children's Health Insurance Advisory Board, expands the Medical Services Fund Advisory Council to absorb children's health insurance duties, and creates a new Medicaid Beneficiary Advisory Council to provide quarterly feedback from program recipients, effective across specified implementation dates starting July 1, 2025.
Changes how advisory boards for state health programs operate, directly altering representation rules for medical providers, consumer advocates, and Medicaid recipients while establishing a new formal platform for beneficiary feedback.
- State advisory councils on medical services assist state agencies in administering Medicaid and ensuring compliance with federal guidelines under the Social Security Act. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Medicaid recipients
Medicaid recipients and their families gain a dedicated quarterly advisory forum and guaranteed representation percentages on the Medical Services Fund Advisory Council.
Medical and healthcare providers
Professional associations representing medicine, dentistry, primary care, behavioral health, pharmacy, and family practice are specified as nominating bodies for council seats.
State Medicaid Agency
The state Medicaid Agency assumes responsibilities for appointing council members, establishing bylaws, and integrating new federal advisory committee rules under 42 CFR § 431.12.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to the existing children's health insurance advisory board?
What is the role of the newly created Medicaid Beneficiary Advisory Council?
Are decisions made by the new Beneficiary Advisory Council legally binding?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in Senate committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Feb 18, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Health and Human Resources
- Feb 18, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced in Senate
- Feb 18, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Health and Human Resources then Finance
- Feb 18, 2026SenateIntroducedFiled for introduction
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 45)
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment2Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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