The West Virginia Health Care Authority has posted interesting charts showing the cost shifting of heath care costs in West Virginia. The presentation was given by the Chair of the Health Care Authority, Sonia Chambers, to the West Virginia House of Delegates Health and Human Resources Committee on February 14th, 2005.
The charts show a reasons why West Virginia needs to work hard to attract more businesses to West Virginia. As the non-governmental payor pool shrinks those left will take on a greater burden of the cost shift. At some point the breaking point will occur where business will no longer be able to make up the difference and West Virginia hospitals will no longer be able to cover the cost of health care based on the rates paid by governmental payors.
Check out the following charts:
