West Virginia HB4772: Medicaid eligibility verification

What the bill says

To amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §9-5-34, relating to requiring Bureau of Medical Services to verify and remove deceased Medicaid enrollees; requiring data matches with official death records; mandating the termination of eligibility upon proof of an enrollee's death; authorizing data-sharing agreements and annual audits; requiring an annual report to the Legislature; and providing an effective date. ARTICLE 5. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS. §9-5-34. Periodic Verification and Removal of Deceased Medicaid Enrollees. (a) The Legislature.

From the engrossed text, January 23, 2026:

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §9-5-34, relating to requiring Bureau of Medical Services to verify and remove deceased Medicaid enrollees; requiring data matches with official death records; mandating the termination of eligibility upon proof of an enrollee's death; authorizing data-sharing agreements and annual audits; requiring an annual report to the Legislature; and providing an effective date. ARTICLE 5. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS. §9-5-34. Periodic Verification and Removal of Deceased Medicaid Enrollees. (a) The Legislature finds that regular verification of enrollee status and prompt removal of deceased individuals from active Medicaid rolls is necessary to ensure the integrity of West Virginia's Medicaid program. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of code to the contrary, the West Virginia Department of Human Services ("DoHS") Bureau for Medical Services ("BMS") shall develop a process of periodic verification of Medicaid enrollees and removal of deceased enrollees. BMS shall conduct data matches between Medicaid eligibility files and death records, verifying deaths through the West Virginia Department of Health's Office of Vital Statistics, Health Statistics Center ("HSC") and the Social Security Administration's Death Master File ("DMF") every month. (c) Upon verification of an enrollee's deceased status, the BMS is required to terminate a Medicaid enrollee's eligibility and cease payments for any deceased enrollee effective as of the …

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