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West Virginia Will Benefit More from Obamacare than Most Other States

In West Virginia 81 percent of currently uninsured residents will receive some sort of financial help in getting health insurance.

West Virginians will see more benefits from the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, than residents of almost any other state, according to a new study from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

In West Virginia 81 percent of currently uninsured residents will receive some sort of financial help in getting health insurance, either through Medicaid or through subsidies in the health insurance marketplace, the study found. That number is tied with Michigan and Kentucky for the highest in the nation.

"This is not small news," wrote Brandon Merritt, a health policy analyst with the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. "Currently, there are an estimated 270,000 West Virginians without health insurance. Based on this report, around 219,000 of them will qualify for assistance, which is a pretty big deal since cost is overwhelmingly the number one reason why the uninsured don't have health coverage."

States, like West Virginia, that chose to expand Medicaid will benefit most from the ACA, the study found.

Daniel Luzer is GOVERNING's news editor.