Senate pushing bill to block Medicaid expansion quickly

By Mark Binker

Posted: January 31

Raleigh, N.C. — North Carolina would not help the federal government create a federal health insurance exchange or expand the state Medicaid program under a bill that passed the Senate Insurance Committee Thursday morning.

The bill blocks any state agency from taking any actions related to federal health exchanges unless explicitly authorized to do so by the General Assembly.

Rose Vaughn Williams, a lawyer with the N.C. Department of Insurance, said her agency was concerned about the bill. In particular, she said, the bill could trigger greater federal involvement in jobs the state is doing now.

"They could swoop in and start taking over the duties we have," she said.

Democrats on the committee objected to the bill, saying that the state was passing on an opportunity to tailor the exchange program to meet the needs of residents.

"From a customer service standpoint, we have a tremendous opportunity," said Sen. Floyd McKissick, D-Durham.

Some studies have shown the state would save $65 million over the next decade by expanding the Medicaid law. A report for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services suggested Medicaid expansion would create 23,000 jobs.

"This is going to cost more jobs than it will ever create," said Sen. Tom Apodaca, R-Henderson, the bill's sponsor.

The measure passed on a voice vote in committee.

Apodaca said the bill would be received in the full Senate today and debated on Monday night.

17 Comments

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It is pretty clear based on what the NC legislature has in mind for unemployment benefits, tax reform, group home funding and blocking medicaid expansion even though federally funded and would actually decrease the overall state medicaid budget that this legislature intends to try and grow jobs and the state economy by focusing on the most vulnerable in our society. Can't we go at this a little bit more balanced across all classes of people?

beachmama
January 31, 2013 12:27 p.m.

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GOP racing to the bottom. They are going to make NC into a third world nation.

wral mods blow close my account
January 31, 2013 1:26 p.m.

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Just sit back and keep drinking the coolaid beachmama... You cannot help people by creating a way of life that does not require them to work. My wife at $11 an hour brings home less than many recieving unemployment benefits and some of these have been drawing this for over 2 years, long enough they could have gotten a 2 year degree, of which federal dollars would have paid for. Blocking the medicaid expansion and the health exchange is the right thing to do for the tax payers of this State and group home funding is being taken care of in a very appropriate manner, more so than under the previous administation. "the most vulnerable" in NC are the ones who still pay taxes and those who have jobs in something other than State or Federal programs.

phillip5
January 31, 2013 1:41 p.m.

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phillip5

Where is any compassion for the elderly, the single mom with a dead beat father, the working poor etc. I work and work 2 jobs and one of them is teaching in a university which pays virtually nothing compared to the other job. I do it because it is rewarding not for the money. But that does not mean I cannot have some compassion for those less fortunate. Maybe you should go work in a soup kitchen to experience some real life hardships, instead of focusing on those that abuse the system. The system needs to be modified to identify and charge those that fraud the system. It does not make everybody on a system a criminal as you would think by listening to golo comments

beachmama
January 31, 2013 2:00 p.m.

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"the state would save $65 million over the next decade by expanding the Medicaid law. A report for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services suggested Medicaid expansion would create 23,000 jobs."

A savings of $65 million in tax dollars and creation of 23,000 jobs - yet Republicans are opposed.

So much for Republicans being concerned about saving tax dollars and creating jobs.

hp277
January 31, 2013 2:21 p.m.

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So now the poor, the helpless, the sick and in-firmed have become the newest targets of the reckless Republican party. When you guys go to church I hope you loudly sing "Oh, How I Love Jesus" because you'll really need the extra volume to drown out the plaintive cries of your newest victims!

Enjoy that new pay increase you just voted in for yourselves!

douglively919
January 31, 2013 2:34 p.m.

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Congrats, republicons! Now the mandatory federal health insurance exchanges will happen under purview of intelligent Democrats in Washington DC instead of the NC congress. Hooray unintended consequences! :)

floydthebarber
January 31, 2013 2:45 p.m.

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hp277, be truthful. It's 23,000 GOVT jobs, probably mostly low-paid case workers who have every incentive to conspire to cheat the system (see Enough is Enough's comment elsewhere). After doing the bare minimum for a few years they are vested in the retirement plan and eternal health insurance. 23k more govt emps is not a good thing.

Terkel
January 31, 2013 3:05 p.m.

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Let's all remember this in two years when we MIGHT have the chance to toss the bums out...but then again they gerrymandered the districts so it doesn't matter what the "voters" want.

dwntwnboy2
January 31, 2013 3:11 p.m.

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"hp277, be truthful. It's 23,000 GOVT jobs, probably mostly low-paid case workers who have every incentive to conspire to cheat the system (see Enough is Enough's comment elsewhere). After doing the bare minimum for a few years they are vested in the retirement plan and eternal health insurance. 23k more govt emps is not a good thing." Morrigan

Wrong, Morrigan. The jobs will be in the health care sector due to more demand - nurses, physician assistants, office staff, Xray techs, pharmacies, etc. Notice the expansion of minute clinics at CVS, Walgreen, Target - those are all due to the coming increase in the number of people with insurance coverage - both private and govt-provided insurance.

hp277
January 31, 2013 3:26 p.m.

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