CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- More than 11,000 West Virginians covered by the state's redesigned Medicaid insurance plan for the poor have signed personal responsibility pledges to improve their health, according to data released today.

State Medicaid officials said the numbers are encouraging.

The revamped program - called Mountain Health Choices - got off to a sluggish start with few recipients signing agreements to improve their health under an "enhanced" plan in exchange for expanded benefits. The state hit the 11,000-enrollment mark last week. 

"That's extremely encouraging to us," said Shannon Landrum, legislative liaison at the Bureau for Medical Services. "We expect thousands more to sign up for the enhanced plan in the coming months."

The 11,000 enrollees represent only 8 percent of the 140,000 children and adults eligible to sign up for expanded benefits.

Medicaid redesign critics say the numbers are nothing to celebrate.

The overwhelming majority of Medicaid recipients are winding up in the state's bare-bones "basic" benefit plan, which limits prescriptions and other services. The basic package has fewer benefits than traditional Medicaid.

"They're not releasing the numbers in the basic program," said Perry Bryant, executive director of West Virginians for Affordable Health Care.

Bryant said Medicaid's healthiest children and families are the ones most likely to select the enhanced plan.

"You may be giving them things they don't necessarily need," Bryant said. "You need to be looking at the people who have chronic illnesses. That's where your need to spend your dollars."

Last month, a coalition of groups called on state officials to suspend the redesigned Medicaid plan, saying the program penalizes poor children and adults.

"If it's a program to control costs, then they're focusing on the wrong population," Renate Pore, co-chairwoman of the West Virginia Healthy Kids and Families Coalition, said last week.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- More than 11,000 West Virginians covered by the state's redesigned Medicaid insurance plan for the poor have signed personal responsibility pledges to improve their health, according to data released today.

State Medicaid officials said the numbers are encouraging.

The revamped program - called Mountain Health Choices - got off to a sluggish start with few recipients signing agreements to improve their health under an "enhanced" plan in exchange for expanded benefits. The state hit the 11,000-enrollment mark last week. 

"That's extremely encouraging to us," said Shannon Landrum, legislative liaison at the Bureau for Medical Services. "We expect thousands more to sign up for the enhanced plan in the coming months."

The 11,000 enrollees represent only 8 percent of the 140,000 children and adults eligible to sign up for expanded benefits.

Medicaid redesign critics say the numbers are nothing to celebrate.

The overwhelming majority of Medicaid recipients are winding up in the state's bare-bones "basic" benefit plan, which limits prescriptions and other services. The basic package has fewer benefits than traditional Medicaid.

"They're not releasing the numbers in the basic program," said Perry Bryant, executive director of West Virginians for Affordable Health Care.

Bryant said Medicaid's healthiest children and families are the ones most likely to select the enhanced plan.

"You may be giving them things they don't necessarily need," Bryant said. "You need to be looking at the people who have chronic illnesses. That's where your need to spend your dollars."

Last month, a coalition of groups called on state officials to suspend the redesigned Medicaid plan, saying the program penalizes poor children and adults.

"If it's a program to control costs, then they're focusing on the wrong population," Renate Pore, co-chairwoman of the West Virginia Healthy Kids and Families Coalition, said last week.

The state's new Medicaid approach - the first of its kind in the country - includes incentives to entice low-income people to take steps to improve their health.

The enhanced benefit package requires people to see a doctor, keep appointments and stay out of hospital emergency rooms.

In exchange, they get expanded health services, such as weight management, nutrition and smoking cessation classes.

Barbara Good, physicians advocate for the West Virginia State Medical Association, said the revamped Medicaid program started more slowly than state officials expected. But more Medicaid recipients are now hearing about the enhanced plan's advantages, she said.

"Our physicians have seen the merits of educating their patients," Good said. "It's a whole new mindset."

Good said she hasn't received any complaints from doctors about Medicaid redesign in recent months. She said the program allows Medicaid patients to take charge of their health care.

"This is still a work in progress, but I think 11,000 is a huge success," Good said. "I'm delighted they hit this mark, and I hope it continues to grow."

Medicaid recipients eligible for the revamped program must visit their doctor to sign up. They have five months to choose between basic and enhanced plans once they're notified that their traditional Medicaid benefits are expiring.

Not everyone has had the opportunity to make the switch, and the program isn't expected to be fully up and running until March 2009.

Landrum said even the basic benefits plan offers "very good" health-care coverage.

"We don't know that that's an irrational choice for the healthy population," she said.

Reach Eric Eyre at erice...@wvgazette.com or 348-4869.