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Justice announces Medicaid rate increase in hopes of improving state’s in-home care worker shortage • West Virginia Watch

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3 months ago

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Justice announces Medicaid rate increase in hopes of improving state’s in-home care worker shortage • West Virginia Watch


Gov. Jim Justice announced Thursday that his administration will increase its funding for state programs that provide in-home care for people with disabilities, seniors and others in hopes of addressing a workforce shortage.

The funding will go toward a 15% Medicaid reimbursement rate increase for providers that serve vulnerable adults and children in state waiver programs. The money is meant to improve pay for direct care workers, who currently earn around $11 an hour, but there is no requirement on how providers spend the money. 

A 2023 survey said West Virginia needed to increase its rate of reimbursement and the worker salary range to $15.50-$18.60 per hour; the new rate increase, which goes into effect Oct. 1, reflected the study’s recommendations. 

“We can get some more bucks to these great people who are absolutely doing God’s work,” Justice said. “I’m just tickled to death to do that.”

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Companies that employ direct care workers have said the rate increase, which was well below neighboring states, was necessary to employ and retain its workforce.

Eric Hicks, board president of the West Virginia’s chapter of the Home Care Association of America, anticipated home care wages being increased by agencies statewide. He noted that West Virginia was one of the nation’s most elderly states. 

“This investment allows West Virginia seniors and those with disabilities to age in their homes with dignity,” Hicks said. “Home care saves both families and the state from the enormous costs of long-term care facilities, which the Department of Human Services recently reported poses a $200-plus million annual additional taxpayer risk to the Medicaid program.”

Senior centers across the state, which provide in-home care to elderly residents through Medicaid, have also struggled to keep enough workers. Jennifer Brown, president of the West Virginia Directors of Senior and Community Services, said the rate increase would allow senior care providers to offer competitive salaries. 

“This will enable our members to continue our vital mission of caring for, transporting and providing meals to seniors in West Virginia who are in the greatest need of assistance,” she said. “Our group of providers offers comprehensive services to seniors, prioritizing their well-being over profits.”

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In-home care is also a cost-saving measure for the state as paying for long-term care, like nursing homes and psychiatric facilities, is much more expensive

During the May special session, lawmakers gave DoHS $180 million in a reserve fund that they could use to improve Medicaid reimbursement rates. Lawmakers declined to mandate that DoHS spend the money to increase the rates after learning the department had spent money earmarked for people with disabilities on things like in-home COVID-19 tests.

While the Justice administration delayed action on the rate increase, a group home in Martinsburg for people with disabilities, many without family members, announced its closure earlier this month. Companies providing in-home care to seniors laid off workers due to financial loss. 

A press release from Justice’s office did not specify how much the rate increase would cost or where the funding would come from. Spokespeople for Justice and DoHS did not respond to questions for this story by deadline. 

DoHS did not require providers to use a certain amount of the reimbursement amount on increasing workers’ salaries. 

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Disability Rights West Virginia Legal Director Mike Folio applauded the rate increase, but said that it was still millions of dollars short of what was needed as the state has infinitely institutionalized more people with disabilities.

“DoHS hasn’t increased rates in more than 10 years and the rate increases are not tied to a wage pass-through to guarantee that the increased revenue will be used to bolster front-line workers’ wages,” he said.  “Hiring and retention are necessary to end the skyrocketing number of involuntary commitments, but the rate increase gives providers free reign to spend the new revenue on management lunches and trips and not on workers’ wages.” 

The state Bureau for Medical Services plans to monitor the impact of increased rates on worker pay and member access to services “to determine if the increased rates are having the desired effect on workforce availability and tenure,” according to a press release.

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West Virginia

West Virginia 98-28 Lafayette (Nov 22, 2024) Game Recap – ESPN

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6 hours ago

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November 23, 2024

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West Virginia 98-28 Lafayette (Nov 22, 2024) Game Recap – ESPN


MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — — Ja’Naiya Quinerly had 19 points, Sydney Woodley scored 15 off the bench and No. 13 West Virginia posted a wire-to-wire 98-28 victory over Lafayette on Friday night.

Quinerly made 6 of 12 shots with four 3-pointers for the Mountaineers (6-0), who have yet to play a road game this season. She added five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Woodley hit 4 of 5 shots with two 3s and pitched in with five steals and four rebounds.

Kylee Blacksten finished with 13 points and six boards for West Virginia. Jordan Thomas contributed 11 points, five assists and four rebounds. Reserve Tirzah Moore scored 10.

Abby Antognoli had 11 points to lead the Leopards (1-4), who fell to 0-3 away from home. Antognoli made just 1 of 6 from 3-point range for Lafayette which shot 2 of 17 from distance.

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Watson and Jordan Harrison made 3s in the first 27 seconds as West Virginia grabbed a quick two-possession lead. Quinerly made both of her 3s in the quarter to help the Mountaineers take a 22-8 lead.

Moore followed her two successful free throws with a 3-point play to spark an 11-0 run to begin the second period and West Virginia cruised from there. The Mountaineers led 45-15 at halftime and 78-19 at the end of the third.

West Virginia will host High Point on Friday.

—— Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball



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How to Watch West Virginia vs. UCF: Time, TV Channel, Live Stream – November 23, 2024

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14 hours ago

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November 23, 2024

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How to Watch West Virginia vs. UCF: Time, TV Channel, Live Stream – November 23, 2024


Data Skrive

One of the best runners in college football will be featured when RJ Harvey and the UCF Knights (4-6) take on the West Virginia Mountaineers (5-5) on Saturday, November 23, 2024.

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Go to ESPNU to watch the Knights battle the Mountaineers.

Keep up with college football all season on FOX Sports.

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Learn more about the UCF Knights and the West Virginia Mountaineers.

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How to Watch UCF vs. West Virginia

  • When: Saturday, November 23, 2024 at 3:30 p.m. ET
  • Location: Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia
  • Live Box Score: FOX Sports

Read More About This Game

  • UCF vs. West Virginia Predictions

UCF’s 2024 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
8/29/2024 vs. New Hampshire W 57-3
9/7/2024 vs. Sam Houston W 45-14
9/14/2024 at TCU W 35-34
9/28/2024 vs. Colorado L 48-21
10/5/2024 at Florida L 24-13
10/12/2024 vs. Cincinnati L 19-13
10/19/2024 at Iowa State L 38-35
10/26/2024 vs. BYU L 37-24
11/2/2024 vs. Arizona W 56-12
11/9/2024 at Arizona State L 35-31
11/23/2024 at West Virginia –
11/29/2024 vs. Utah –

UCF 2024 Stats & Insights

  • UCF owns the 57th-ranked defense this season (355.4 yards allowed per game), and has been better on offense, ranking eighth-best with a tally of 464.6 yards per game.
  • UCF is averaging 201.8 passing yards per game offensively this year (93rd in the FBS), and is giving up 239.5 passing yards per game (96th) on the other side of the ball.
  • The Knights rank 32nd in scoring offense (33.0 points per game) and 80th in scoring defense (26.4 points allowed per game) this season.
  • The Knights rank 28th in run defense this year (115.9 rushing yards allowed per game), but they’ve been shining on offense, ranking second-best in the FBS with 262.8 rushing yards per game.
  • Despite sporting a bottom-25 defense on third down that ranks 22nd-worst in the FBS (44.4% third-down conversion rate), UCF has had more success offensively, ranking 42nd in the FBS by posting a 43.3% third-down conversion rate.
  • With 11 forced turnovers (96th in the FBS) against 15 turnovers committed (80th in the FBS), the Knights (-4) have the 95th-ranked turnover margin in college football.

UCF 2024 Key Players

Name Position Stats
RJ Harvey RB 1,328 YDS / 19 TD / 132.8 YPG / 6.8 YPC
15 REC / 229 REC YDS / 2 REC TD / 22.9 REC YPG
K.J. Jefferson QB 1,012 YDS (59.3%) / 7 TD / 4 INT
193 RUSH YDS / 2 RUSH TD / 27.6 RUSH YPG
Kobe Hudson WR 38 REC / 623 YDS / 3 TD / 62.3 YPG
Jacurri Brown QB 387 YDS (51.5%) / 1 TD / 4 INT
354 RUSH YDS / 4 RUSH TD / 39.3 RUSH YPG
Deshawn Pace LB 43 TKL / 2.0 TFL / 2 INT / 2 PD
Quadric Bullard DB 48 TKL / 1.0 TFL / 1.0 SACK
Nyjalik Kelly DL 36 TKL / 3.0 TFL / 2.5 SACK
Daylan Dotson DL 23 TKL / 5.0 TFL / 4.0 SACK

West Virginia’s 2024 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
8/31/2024 vs. Penn State L 34-12
9/7/2024 vs. Albany W 49-14
9/14/2024 at Pittsburgh L 38-34
9/21/2024 vs. Kansas W 32-28
10/5/2024 at Oklahoma State W 38-14
10/12/2024 vs. Iowa State L 28-16
10/19/2024 vs. Kansas State L 45-18
10/26/2024 at Arizona W 31-26
11/9/2024 at Cincinnati W 31-24
11/16/2024 vs. Baylor L 49-35
11/23/2024 vs. UCF –
11/30/2024 at Texas Tech –

West Virginia 2024 Stats & Insights

  • West Virginia ranks 53rd with 400.8 total yards per game on offense, and it ranks 99th with 400.8 total yards allowed per contest on the defensive side of the ball.
  • West Virginia ranks 91st in passing yards per game (202.3), but it has been worse on the other side of the ball, ranking eighth-worst in the FBS with 269.6 passing yards allowed per contest.
  • The Mountaineers rank 53rd in the FBS with 29.6 points per game on offense, and they rank 102nd with 30.0 points given up per contest on the defensive side of the ball.
  • The Mountaineers’ run offense has been leading the way for the team, as they rank 24th-best in the FBS with 198.5 rushing yards per contest. In terms of defense, they are giving up 131.2 rushing yards per game, which ranks 49th.
  • West Virginia ranks 69th in third-down conversion rate (40.2%) on offense, but it has been less productive on the other side of the ball, ranking eighth-worst in the FBS with a 47.2% third-down percentage allowed.
  • The Mountaineers sport a -5 turnover margin this season, which ranks 100th in the FBS.

West Virginia 2024 Key Players

Name Position Stats
Garrett Greene QB 1,589 YDS (54.6%) / 11 TD / 9 INT
613 RUSH YDS / 5 RUSH TD / 76.6 RUSH YPG
Jahiem White RB 639 YDS / 5 TD / 63.9 YPG / 5.5 YPC
12 REC / 94 REC YDS / 1 REC TD / 10.4 REC YPG
CJ Donaldson RB 525 YDS / 7 TD / 52.5 YPG / 4.6 YPC
5 REC / 20 REC YDS / 1 REC TD / 2.5 REC YPG
Traylon Ray WR 28 REC / 426 YDS / 4 TD / 42.6 YPG
Josiah Trotter LB 73 TKL / 3.0 TFL / 0.5 SACK / 1 INT
T.J. Jackson DL 33 TKL / 12.0 TFL / 5.5 SACK
Anthony Wilson DB 75 TKL / 0.0 TFL / 1 INT / 1 PD
Trey Lathan LB 50 TKL / 5.0 TFL / 2.0 SACK

FOX Sports created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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West Virginia

West Virginia facing challenge in UCF rushing attack led by Harvey

Published

22 hours ago

on

November 22, 2024

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West Virginia facing challenge in UCF rushing attack led by Harvey


If West Virginia is going to have success on the defensive side of the ball against UCF it starts with keeping their ground game under control.

And the centerpiece of that is senior running back RJ Harvey.

The Knights are second nationally and top all Power Four programs at 262 yards per game with Harvey playing a major role in that. The Orlando native has rushed for 1,328 yards and 19 touchdowns while averaging almost 7 yards per carry on the season.

It’s no secret that keeping him in check will be critical.

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“His ability to break tackles and once he does get past the defensive line and linebackers he gets going really fast,” defensive lineman TJ Jackson said.

Jackson compares Harvey to a bigger Devin Neal from Kansas in large part because of his ability to go from a jump cut to full speed. The running back is one of the most improved players in the country and is playing at an elite level according to head coach Neal Brown.

“Really tough to tackle, can make people miss. Has a great feel for their zone schemes,” Brown said.

UCF will utilize the same inside zone rushing scheme that Baylor was able to rush for 183 yards and it’s going to require some discipline out of the unit. The defense must attack the ball with leverage.

“You got to keep great edges on the defense. You have to keep technique all 11 guys across the board. If you’re the backside guy pursuing the ball then you have to keep technique and keep your shoulders square,” coordinator Jeff Koonz said. “He’s a threat to go anywhere, at any time. He understands blocking, he understands their scheme. It’s a great challenge for us.”

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Where Harvey has created the most issues is when he is able to get the safeties and linebackers bottled up and then jump cuts to the outside and outruns the defense for big chunks of yards.

“The key is to contain him and not let him get on the perimeter for explosives,” Brown said.



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