Welcome to the West Virginia State Health Plan web page, where you will find background information, the latest reports and related regulatory changes.
The HCA views the State Health Plan as a policy blueprint for shaping the health system through the action of public agencies and the cooperation of private sectors. The HCA, through the State Health Plan, undertakes an active role in proposing needed changes in the system, including the reallocation of resources to achieve a health care system that is cost effective, and balances considerations of affordability, access and quality. The State Health Plan is the legal foundation for the HCA's decisions in its Certificate of Need regulatory program.
The State Health Plan establishes the framework to improve access to health care services, constrain health care costs and determine priorities for addressing statewide health care needs. It sets goals for improvement in the efficiency and the effectiveness of the health care delivery system, as well as providing regulatory oversight and administration of the Certificate of Need program.
The Plan also provides an opportunity for public input into shaping West Virginia’s health care system. The Health Care Authority views the State Health Plan as a living document. From time to time, the Authority may choose to update various sections of the Plan as needed. The Authority anticipates reviewing the entire plan every few years to assure representation of emerging needs in the health care system.
The HCA's authority for developing the State Health Plan is found in West Virginia Code Section §16-2D-5(b) which provides as follows: "The state agency [Health Care Authority] is responsible for coordinating and developing the health planning research efforts of the state and for amending and modifying the state health plan which includes the certificate of need standards."