In West Virginia, the fear of health care costs weigh heavier than the mountains that surround us. Around 84% of West Virginians -- and many of our Appalachian neighbors -- report being worried about what it will cost them to get the care they need.

More than half of us have delayed or skipped care in the past year because of the price tag. An estimated 180,000 West Virginians are carrying medical debt, ranking us fourth-worst in the nation. This is not because we are sicker or lazier than anyone else, it’s because our health care system is being hollowed out by profit-driven interests.

Nowhere is this clearer than in the growing role of private equity in health care.

When Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced recently that West Virginia would sell four of its state-run, long-term care facili

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