A new healthcare bill, including the Medicaid Expansion (HB 149), passed the North Carolina Senate almost unanimously on June 1. The bill has been sent to the House for consideration. The income threshold for Medicaid coverage has been raised from 100% of federal poverty guidelines to 138%, providing healthcare access for up to 600,000 uninsured, low-income people and families.
The highest-ranking Senate official, Republican Phil Berger, is a strong supporter of expanding Medicaid. He cites the persistence of the federal government’s promise that he will pay 90 percent of the state’s costs for Medicaid expansion and recent improvements in how Medicaid is administered. House Republican leader Tim Moore is opposed to the bill in its current form and feels there isn’t enough Republican support, so it’s possible the bill won’t be introduced during this year’s brief Congress. There is. The House needs to approve the bill before it faces Gov. Roy Cooper, a longtime supporter of Medicaid expansion. “We believe we are closer than ever to an agreement,” he said on May 11.
The proposal would eliminate certificates of need, cover telemedicine services, prevent unexpected medical billing from out-of-network providers, and allow advanced practice registered nurses to deliver patient care without physician supervision. make it available. State costs to expand Medicaid will be covered by hospital valuations, and the expansion will end if the federal government cuts state subsidies. Erica Smith Palmer, executive her director of Care4Carolina, a nonprofit that advocates for expanding access to healthcare in North Carolina, said: insurance. “
I previously wrote a position paper for a new health care commission to study ways to improve access to health care and expand Medicaid in North Carolina. According to a 2020 poll, a majority of North Carolinians want to improve health for low-income people and expand Medicaid. But Congress has so far resisted attempts to pass Medicaid expansion, and several years ago passed a law banning voter referendums that block attempts by voters to circumvent Congress. Therefore, I suggested that there is a way forward, either by persuading Congress to proceed with expanding Medicaid, or by replacing it with representatives who will listen to voters.
Medicaid is an integral part of the healthcare safety net and has provided access to many people who have lost their jobs and health insurance as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program currently serves about 3 million people in North Carolina, but more than 1 million people, almost 13% of the population, do not have health insurance, 30,000 of whom are in Buncombe County. is a resident of
The Affordable Care Act of 2010 legalized the expansion of Medicaid, but the Supreme Court ruled that states had the power to decide. A deadlock between Democratic Gov. A legislative commission was established. The Commission is made up of nine senators and her nine representatives.
Republicans generally oppose Medicaid expansion for fear of tax increases and state bankruptcy. , agreed to provide funds to cover most of the rest.
Tim Moore said the bill may be suitable for consideration by the longer General Assembly next year. But health care for hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians could be delayed by political issues in next year’s state budget negotiations.
Continuing successful grassroots efforts to remind delegates that North Carolina’s powerful bipartisan majority wants to expand Medicaid to improve the physical and financial health of low-income people need to do it. The call to action should include a letter and phone call to members of the Access to Health Research Committee at https://www.ncleg.gov/Committees/CommitteeInfo/NonStanding/6770 and to district representatives. Consider joining an organization that helps expand access to healthcare. Failure to enforce voter referendums in North Carolina could stall the will of the people. So, convincing each member of the committee, especially the House, to support Medicaid expansion, or to vote for representatives who support it, is of the utmost importance to everyone.
Richard Needleman is a retired orthopedic surgeon and member of Doctors for America.
