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Still Free! More than just an advertisement Inside Inside WV Legislature Oil & gas news Pages 4-5 INNformer Page 6 Publication of The Wells Inn Volume 4, No. 2 The Wells Inn, 316 Charles St. Sistersville, WV 26175 January 26, 2017 WV ‘unaffordable’ healthcare rates arguably highest in US By L.A. Stinlyn because those customers need more health care. overall pharmacy expenses,” Highmark stated. Special to The INNformer “Our ACA population is sicker and is 85 percent more Another issue is what’s known as “adverse selec- est Virginians now face what are arguably tion,” where a person enrolls in the exchange, uses ben- likely to have had a cancer diagnosis in the last year, the highest Affordable Care Act, otherwise efits and then stops paying the premiums. W 88 percent more likely to have coronary artery disease, known as Obamacare, costs in the nation. 69 percent more likely to have hypertension, 80 percent In the meantime, if you are a Tyler or Wetzel County more likely to have COPD and 110 percent more likely resident who does not have private or employer-based According to healthinsurance.org, West Virginia’s av- erage rates were already among the highest in the coun- to have chronic kidney disease,” Highmark explained. health insurance and has not enrolled in one of the Af- try and while the average rate increases across the U.S. fordable Care Act Marketplace plans by Jan. 31, be pre- As a result, Highmark said it’s paying out $1.19 in are expected to be substantial, the Mountain State’s av- pared to include the Obamacare non-coverage penalty claims for every $1 in premiums. “This is not sustain- erage rate increases exceed the national average. able,” the insurance company said. in your 2017 tax return, if no changes are made. Why? A spokesman for Highmark Blue Cross Blue In the tough-to-navigate labyrinth of the ACA, what is Skyrocketing prescription costs are also a factor. “On Shield, which insures 35,000 of the 37,000 customers the impact to area families and their budgets? With average, a specialty drug costs about $5,500 per pre- in the West Virginia exchange, said premiums increased Continued on page 11 scription and is becoming a larger proportion… of Sistersville Fire fees ambulance proposed for nearly ready Tyler County to roll By Charles Winslow SISTERSVILLE – While some debates MIDDLEBOURNE – In an effort to in- are still ongoing, most of the hurdles the crease much-needed revenue for Tyler Sistersville Volunteer Fire Department’s County’s four volunteer fire depart- new ambulance service needed to clear ments, Shirley Volunteer Fire Depart- are behind it and their vehicle is ready ment Chief Jimmy Wade presented a to roll. proposal to charge fire fees to the Tyler County Commission during its regular The new service, the second in Sis- meeting Jan. 11. tersville and the western section of Tyler Under the proposal, the fire departments County, has recently become a point of would be able to bill insurance compa- contention between the fire department nies and responsible parties for some of and Sistersville’s city government after the expenses incurred for services ren- the department opted to purchase its own Warm the Winter a success dered at calls. ambulance and offer expanded services MIDDLEBOURNE – Ironically, icy winter weather prevented a planned instead of using the spare unit owned by meeting, but Jennifer Negie, organizer of the Warm the Winter- Tyler County, “Our workmen’s compensation insur- Sistersville General Hospital on an as- still called the project a success. ance costs keep going up,” Wade told needed basis. the commissioners. “We had a cost effective plan to get an More than 100 handmade scarves, “I do support the ordinance as it would 59 hats, 44 pairs of socks and 75 ambulance from Sistersville General give us extra financial support,” Jason Hospital that would have cost the fire de- pairs of gloves were collected for Wayne, chief of the Sistersville Volun- the needy of Tyler County despite teer Fire Department, told The INN- partment and the city nothing and wouldn’t have burdened the taxpayers,” cancellation of the Saturday, Jan. former. “Each department would be able Rice said at the Jan. 9 city council meet- 14, workshop. to purchase equipment that was needed ing. “That would’ve been a joint effort “I am incredibly grateful for all of by that department.” between the city, the fire department and the support and for the businesses While the Sistersville department re- that let me collect items there. SGH for an additional ambulance.” ceives additional funding from a fire fee This was a high success,” Negie Jason Wayne, chief of Sistersville’s de- paid by city residents, the rest of the de- partment, told The INNformer in a re- exclaimed. partments in the county have to rely The cold-weather items were dis- largely upon funds provided by the State cent interview that part of the fire of West Virginia. The state collects a .55 department’s consideration was based on tributed to the senior centers in Middlebourne and Sistersville and percent surcharge on every fire and ca- making sure there was an ambulance sualty insurance policy issued within the available when the hospital’s unit was hung at locations throughout the down for maintenance. county for people to take. state and passes that on to the depart- ments. “If Sistersville EMS’s main truck was in “I would like to do it again next winter,” Negie said. In 2016 each department in the state re- for service, the backup truck that could’ve been used by our members ceived just under $50,000, which is paid would be inaccessible,” Wayne said. ABOVE: Winter weather out quarterly. Out of that payment the “We are looking at cutting out the wait- accessories hang in bags on departments have to pay for all expenses ing period for an ambulance. Having our a wrought iron fence in Middle- including insurance, training, fuel, own truck allows us to do that.” bourne and various locations building maintenance, as well as the pur- around Tyler County for those chase and upkeep of their firefighting Currently, when SGH’s ambulance is out in need. LEFT: Jennifer Negie equipment. on a call or on one of its frequent patient- with two of the donated scarves. Under the proposal presented by Wade, Continued on page 7 Continued on page 7 INDEX 2017 WV Legislative session 4-5 Restaurant review 7 Avoid getting bit 12 Familiar Face: The ladies Replacing Leonhardt 5 Regional roundup 8 Middlebourne police cruiser 13 of Sardis Library 3 Oil & gas news 6 SGH offers flat-rate lab tests 9 Classified ads 13 Praise for Pruitt 3 MarkWest fined for spill 6 Endangered bumblebee 10 Events 14-15
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