Healthcare

Congressman David McKinley held a roundtable discussion Thursday afternoon with nurses from Ruby Memorial Hospital. McKinley said he wants to hear about problems nurses may face, including shortages and retention, and how he can help make changes. Read more

Late Wednesday afternoon, President Trump signed a bill into effect that will provide help in the battle against opioids in West Virginia. It was a big victory for the state, but specifically for one local congressman. Read more

This afternoon President Trump signed H.R. 6, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, into law. The bill is a bipartisan response to the opioid epidemic that is devastating communities across West Virginia and the nation. The package includes four bills introduced by Rep. David B. McKinley (R-WV) to reduce repeat overdoses, encourage alternatives to opioids, expand access to safe drug disposal programs, and improve information sharing about patients’ addiction history between health care providers and family members. Read more

Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va. visited Morgantown on Friday and spent some time with The Dominion Post to review some of the action in Congress. McKinley cited three priorities: Opioids, health care and economic revitalization. McKinley said President Trump recently signed a package of 57 opioid bills. They covered a blend of issues: Enforcement, rehabilitation and education among others. Read more

The United States unemployment rate hit 3.7 percent in September, the lowest rate since 1969. Representative David McKinley recently spoke with WBOY about a variety of issues affecting West Virginia, including the economy. He said in spite of economic growth, there is a continuing problem with a shortage of skilled workers in West Virginia and across the country. He said more can be done to get a workforce that is up to the task of keeping the economy growing. Read more

Today, Congressman David B. McKinley, P.E. (WV-1) helped kick-off a two-day workshop with key leaders from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Morgantown. The workshop, hosted by West Virginia University, is focused on increasing the competitiveness of West Virginia universities and colleges in attracting research grants. Read more

U.S. Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., kicked off the Building Research in Capacity in West Virginia workshop Wednesday afternoon at West Virginia University, discussing the importance of seeking grants in medical research. Read more

A group of senators and representatives from West Virginia has sent a letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma saying the agency’s May 9 interim final rule “does not go far enough” to ensure continued access to DME for the elderly and disabled in rural areas. Read more

In Washington, congressional aides waiting for the bus to take them to Capitol Hill stand by signs that picture a unicorn and ask: “What's rarer than a unicorn? A lifesaving program that costs taxpayers nothing. Congress please: Let340B.org.” Read more

This week, the Energy and Commerce Committee began legislative hearings on the 340B prescription drug program, which provides discounts on prescription drugs to healthcare providers who offer uncompensated care. Under pressure from the big pharmaceutical companies, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a ruling in January that cut the 340B savings by nearly 30%. Standing up to big pharma, Congressman David B. McKinley, P.E., (WV-1) introduced H.R. 4392 to reverse the cuts and protect the vulnerable populations who depend on the program. This bill now has 199 bipartisan cosponsors. Read more