Tag: obamacare
March 8, 2013 at 11:27 amCategory:Uncategorized
This morning’s editorial in Raleigh’s News & Observer about Gov. McCrory’s stealthy approval of legislation deny Medicaid to half-million or more North Carolinians is on the money and worth your time.
I liked this part best: Read More…
March 6, 2013 at 12:23 pmCategory:Uncategorized
Governor Pat McCrory today will reject billions of federal dollars from Obamacare to cover 500,000 more poor people under NC’s Medicaid program. McCrory says the main reason is that NC Medicaid is “broken.” But that’s just a talking point borrowed from Governors in states like Louisiana, Alabama and South Carolina. McCrory should be proud of NC Medicaid, our Community Care program – it’s award-winning and seen as a national model and national leader:
February 27, 2013 at 11:21 amCategory:Uncategorized
Last 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.
February 26, 2013 at 2:14 pmCategory:Uncategorized
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…
February 18, 2013 at 8:44 amCategory:Uncategorized
In case you missed it over the weekend, check out Ned Barnett’s column from Raleigh’s News & Observer entitled “Truth gets stretched in Medicaid debate.”
As Barnett notes: the myth being propagated by Gov. McCrory and the General Assembly (with the unfortunate assistance of the politically tone deaf state Auditor) that Medicaid is “broken” and therefore can’t be expanded under Obamacare is just plain baloney.
“The reason DHHS’ Medicaid spending continues to be over budget is because the Republican-controlled legislature reduced its budget without defining what to cut, such as payments to doctors and hospitals, services offered or the number of people eligible. Apart from missing the General Assembly’s unrealistic savings targets, Medicaid delivery systems in North Carolina are very much intact. From 2007 to 2010, Medicaid spending in North Carolina grew more slowly than in any other state in the nation. One of its delivery models, Community Care, is a widely praised prototype for cost savings that other states want to copy. No doubt, a state division spending $13 billion in state and federal funds annually has things that could be fixed, but it clearly is not ‘broken.’”
Read Barnett’s entire column by clicking here.