Tag: affordable care act

NC legislators and Governor get free state-paid health coverage

March 11, 2013 at 1:14 pmCategory:Uncategorized

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I’ve gotten lots of questions about health insurance coverage available to state politicians after we published the below picture showing NC Governor Pat McCrory and three members of NC’s part-time General Assembly at the bill signing rejecting billions of dollars from the federal Affordable Care Act for expanding Medicaid to 500,000 North Carolinians.

McCrory with lawmakers signing the No Medicaid Expansion law

McCrory with lawmakers signing the No Medicaid Expansion law

NC’s Governor, a full-time state employee, can get the comprehensive 70/30 state health plan for free or, if he choses to pay $22.76 a month he can get lower cost sharing in the same plan (80/20).   The legislators pictured, Rep Justin Burr (R), Rep Marilyn Avila (R), and Rep Mark Hollo (R) have a very special deal because they are legislators.  In North Carolina, being a legislator is a part-time job – the General Assembly meets about six months every other year with a short three month session in off years. Unlike any other part-time state employee, the legislators pictured all get the same deal as the Governor and other full time state employees – either receive free coverage or pay $22.76 per month and have lower out-of-pocket costs.  Currently 80% to 90% of legislators take this great deal. Too bad they couldn’t bother to provide 500,000 poor North Carolinians with needed health coverage as well.

 

 

More on the decision of Gov. McCrory’s buddy to expand Medicaid

February 27, 2013 at 11:21 amCategory:Uncategorized

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Chris ChristieLast fall, it seemed as if New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was in North Carolina campaigning for Pat McCrory all the time. Every event featured the two men standing arm in arm and singing each other’s praises.

Oh that Christie would return to North Carolina  today and pound a little common sense into the governorship of the man he helped elect. 

Think Progress has more details on Christie’s decision to accept medicaid expansion:

“’It’s simple. We are putting people first,’ Christie explained in his address. ‘We have an opportunity to ensure that an even greater number of New Jerseyans who are at or near the poverty line will have access to critical health services beginning in January 2014.’ The governor added that the federal government’s funding toward the public insurance program will mean that ‘expanding Medicaid will ensure New Jersey taxpayers will see their dollars maximized.’”

At last report, however,  McCrory remains committed to doing the opposite of his mentor on this critical issue.

10 things that will happen if North Carolina refuses to expand Medicaid and enact exchange

February 26, 2013 at 2:14 pmCategory:Uncategorized

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Over on Twitter this morning, Adam Searing listed 10 lousy things that we know will happen if North Carolina lawmakers and Gov. McCrory act (as expected) to refuse to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act and enact the health care exchange envisioned under the ACA:

#1 – We’ll leave 500,000 North Carolinians in need without access to affordable health care
#2- We’ll put $45 million needed to finish the Medicaid IT system unnecessarily at risk
#3- We’ll turn over our consumer assistance program to the federal government Read More…

Insurance Commish explains folly of G.A.’s refusal to implement Obamacare

February 13, 2013 at 7:30 amCategory:Uncategorized

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Wayne GoodwinAnother public servant  who actually knows what he is talking about has weighed in on the absurdity of the legislation advanced by Governor McCrory and conservative lawmakers to try to block the important reforms and expanded coverage made possible by the Affordable Care Act. North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin issued the following statement after yesterday’s action by the House Health and Human Services Committee:

“I believe that North Carolinians know what’s best for North Carolina. State-based regulation best protects our consumers and promotes a healthy insurance marketplace. At the earlier direction of the General Assembly, the Department of Insurance and the Department of Health and Human Services have laid the necessary groundwork to implement a state-based health insurance exchange and other provisions of the federal health care law. I am disappointed that state leaders now want to cede more control of our health insurance market to the federal government. Read More…

So much for a chance at real debate or public input

January 30, 2013 at 4:45 pmCategory:Uncategorized

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What is it about complete power and the temptation to overreach? The conservatives running the General Assembly have huge and insuperable majorities; they can pass or stop anything they want.

And yet, on just the first real day of the session, they have already spoken loudly and clearly that they have no real intention of  allowing the public to speak or the opponents of their plans to have a say on a series of controversial bills that they plan on ramming through the General Assembly in the coming days.

Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up. Tomorrow, on the second day of the session, lawmakers will take up and apparently act on bills to: Read More…