Why We Need Medicaid Expansion
Too many families in North Carolina lack access to quality, affordable health care. Over 1.1 million North Carolinians lack affordable insurance -- more than in 38 other states -- because our Republican-dominated state legislature has refused to expand Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act.
Now is the time to change that. The Republican argument has been that Medicaid expansion will cost us too much. But Medicaid expansion doesn't require additional state funding. 90% of the cost is regularly paid by the Federal Government; hospital and health insurance assessments cover the other 10%. And to encourage us to act, the American Rescue Plan guarantees us an additional 1.5 billion dollars if we act now and expand Medicaid by September 2022.
Governor Cooper is leading the charge to close the health care coverage gap by expanding Medicaid. He has held up the state budget twice in order to get Republicans in the legislature to agree to expand Medicaid. And he is still at it -- urging the joint House-Senate Committee studying expansion to take advantage of the "sweeteners" the Federal Government is providing right now. As of this writing, the Senate has "done a 180" and agreed to expansion: on June 1 and 2, they passed H149: A Bill to Expand Access to Health Care 44-2. Senate Leader Berger was considered the main obstacle to Medicaid expansion, but now that the Senate had moved forward, House Majority Leader Tim Moore is saying there will be no action on Medicaid Expansion this session. If he continues to block adoption of Medicaid expansion, he will jeopardize the 1.5 Billion sweetener the Feds have offered.
The impact of Medicaid expansion on North Carolina goes beyond even saving the lives of low-income families.
626,000 North Carolinians would gain access to health care.
Rural hospitals Would be Saved. They would no longer be deprived of the resources they need to keep operating.
5 rural hospitals have already closed because of lack of funding: 4 were critical access hospitals -- that is hospitals with no other access to health care close by.
And 20 more rural hospitals are operating in the red, in danger of closing because without Medicaid expansion they are not reimbursed for care of uninsured patients.
Medical Debt Would be Reduced
Medical debt is pushing North Carolina families into bankruptcy. It's the greatest source of debt for individuals and families. In states that expanded Medicaid that debt decreased 44% between 2013-2020. In states like North Carolina, the decrease in debt was only 10%.
“Reducing “the coverage gap will improve the quality of life of
rural North Carolinians in the communities that they call home”- Patrick Woodie, President, North Carolina Rural Center
We all lose when the Republicans in the legislature continue to block Medicaid expansion. And this is not counting benefits we would surely gain -- all across the state -- from more health care-related jobs (Governor Cooper estimates as many as 37,000 across the state) brought about by more health care dollars coming into the state and increased economic activity which, in turn, would translate into larger state and county tax revenues to support education and other essential services in our comunities.
The refusal of the Republicans to make sure North Carolinians get the health care they need and deserve, has not stopped the Governor and the Attorney General from doing what they can to help North Carolinians live healthier, more abundant, and purposeful lives.
The Department of Health and Human Services has launched two projects that are looking at holistic models for improving health outcomes of low income children and families.
The Healthy Opportunities Pilot in Western NC will help selected patients obtain food, housing, and transportation, based on research that suggests that 80% of health outcomes are shaped by these social determinants of health. The project will also assist individuals who are victims of domestic violence.
North Carolina Integrated Care for Kids (NCInCK) supports integrated care for children insured by Medicaid or CHIP in Alamance, Orange, Durham, Granville, and Vance counties. "Investing in children is the best way to build a vibrant future for North Carolina," aid Kody H. Kinsley, NCDHHS Secretary. " Supporting the well-being of children and their families is a top priority for the department, especially as we work to recover even stronger from the impacts of the pandemic."
In addition, the Governor’s recommended Budget Adjustments for 2022-23 include $45 million to address shortages in North Carolina’s healthcare workforce by expanding training capacity in the UNC System, community colleges, and private colleges and universities.
HEALTHY LIVES FOR ALL ARE WITHIN OUR REACH.
LET'S ELECT DEMOCRATS WHO WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN.
References:
NC data in this article is from https://ncpolicywatch.com/2022/03/22/rural-healthcare-providers-feel-the-pain-of-north-carolinas-medicaid-gap/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=02c21446-e829-4040-b057-90c370e5d2c7 and
Leighton Ku, Brian Bruein, Erin Brantley, The Economic and Employment Benefits of Expanding Medicaid in North Carolina: June 2019 Update (GWU Center for Health Policy Research)
https://www.heathinsurance.org/medicaid/north-carolina
North Carolina: Building on Success, Governor Roy Cooper’s Recommended Budget Adjustments, 2022-23, May 2022 osbm.nc.gov