Dear West Virginian,

This week, Governor Jim Justice announced his plan to re-open the state. This is exactly the type of phased approach President Trump and medical experts like Dr. Birx and Dr. Fauci have been advising. I support the governor’s plan, and I’m eager to get our state moving again. West Virginia has done an incredible job of flattening the curve, but getting things back to normal won’t happen overnight. We must maintain social distancing. I’m still planning to follow these guidelines and encourage you to do the same.

Remember to visit my coronavirus webpage to learn more about the resources available to you during this time. Click here to visit the page, and click here or the image below to learn more about the governor’s recent “Safer At Home” order to replace the “Stay At Home” order.

The worst thing that could happen is re-opening too soon and then having to close again because of a spike. That would absolutely shatter morale and likely close some businesses down for good. That’s why we need to get this right, which is why I believe the governor’s plan will accomplish this. Please follow the guidelines laid out by Governor Justice, our coronavirus czar Dr. Clay Marsh, and West Virginia’s Health and Human Resources (WVHHR) Director, Dr. Cathy Slemp.

Click here to learn more about the governor’s guidance and here to view his “Safer-at-Home” order.

Expanding Telehealth Options

We know that this pandemic has highlighted the need to expand telehealth services. However, because so many West Virginians have unreliable broadband service, these telehealth appointments can be difficult, if not impossible. Instead, they must turn to telephone-based telehealth services. However, healthcare professionals who provide these services are not receiving the same reimbursement for their telephone-based consultations as they would for visual or in-person consultations. This week, Senator Manchin and I wrote a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) urging them to change that.

GREAT NEWS: They made the change! This change will increase the use of telephone-based appointments and ensure providers are compensated the same way. Click here for my full statement on this and more details on the change.

Improving EIDL for Small Businesses

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) have been a huge help for millions of small businesses across the country and thousands here in West Virginia. However, that doesn’t mean relief programs like these aren’t in need of improvements. This week, I sent a letter to the Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator urging SBA to make some changes to the EIDL program, specifically:

Expedite the $10,000 advances to be received within three days
Remove the per-employee cap on advance grants
Restore the maximum loan amount to $2 million

Learn more here.

REMINDER: Make Sure You Get Your Individual Check!

The IRS has now opened an online portal for lower-income individuals who are not required to file a tax return, have not filed tax returns for 2018 or 2019, and are not on Social Security retirement, Social Security disability (SSDI), or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to provide information in order to receive a stimulus check. Enter your information to track the status of your payment here.

Those who have filed a return for 2018 or 2019 or are on Social Security retirement, SSI, or SSDI do not need to do anything to receive their check.

However, if you’re on SSI and have dependents, you’ll need to fill out additional information to get the extra $500 per child.

Here’s a great Q&A page on the IRS site. If you have questions, check it out!

And here’s another good Q&A page that provides more details about your Economic Impact Payments (EIP).

Be Vigilant for Scammers!

Unfortunately, there are bad actors that are using this health crisis to take advantage of unsuspecting residents, especially our senior citizens. Please note the IRS WILL NOT call you and ask for your bank account information to deposit your individual relief check.

Check out my coronavirus webpage for more information about scams and what I’m doing to try and mitigate them.

Additional Resources

I created a page on my website with information and resources to keep you up-to-date on the coronavirus situation as it continues to evolve. Check out that page here, and please share with friends so they can keep up with the latest.

In addition to my webpage, I also want to make sure you know where to get the latest updates from the medical experts at CDC.gov and West Virginia DHHR.

I will continue doing my best to keep you up to speed on what we are doing here at the federal level to help and other resources that can be useful back at home. I will be posting regular updates on my Facebook and Twitter accounts, so be sure to follow me there.

Important Information If You’re Visiting DC

Because of coronavirus concerns, all Capitol and White House tours have been suspended indefinitely. Please contact our Washington office to reschedule. Additionally, requests for flags flown over the Capitol may be delayed, and access to the Capitol and House and Senate office buildings is being restricted. Feel free to contact our office at (202) 224-6472 with any questions. We apologize for any inconvenience.

In Case You Missed It: Helping our Veterans

I had a phone call with the Secretary of the VA, Robert Wilkie, on Thursday. It had come to my attention that veterans using drive-thru or mobile testing sites to get tested for coronavirus were being forced to pay out of pocket. Senator Joe Manchin and I urged Secretary Wilkie to classify mobile COVID-19 testing as “Urgent Care” or “Emergency Care” for veterans in order to allow veterans to get tested in the community without prior-authorization by the VA. Secretary Wilkie gave us assurances that he would look into the waiver process for veterans to get tested at mobile testing sites with costs covered by the VA.

How Can We Help?

Whether you need help with a casework issue or have a question about scheduling a meeting at one of my offices, my staff and I are ready to assist you. Learn more about the services we offer at www.capito.senate.gov.

You can also submit your feedback and share your stories with me by visiting my “Share Your Stories” webpage here: www.capito.senate.gov/ShareYourStories.

Social Media Recap

Join me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for regular updates and photos.

Sincerely,

Shelley Moore Capito

United States Senator