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State Division of Corrections officials project having inmates on Medicaid has saved the division more than $1 million in medical treatment for inmates this year so far.The Division has been signing up eligible inmates for Medicaid since January 2014, when West Virginia expanded its program to cover those who make up to 138 percent of the federal poverty line, a provision of the Affordable Care Act. Medicaid will pay for treatment of inmates only after they have been admitted to a hospital for more than 24 hours.So far, 367 inmates have signed up for Medicaid once they’ve been in the hospital for more than 24 hours, Debbie Hissom, health services administrator for the Division of Corrections, said earlier this month.Hissom said the division has saved a projected $1.15 million from January until July.
“We use the approximate cost of inpatient hospitalization, which is $1,600 per day, to arrive at our projected savings,” …
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