'We're going to feel the impacts': NC Health Department blindsided by $100 million federal funding cuts, 80 jobs lost

Interim State Health Director Dr. Kelly Kimple said the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services had no advance warning about cuts to the department.

Kimple said the department is still trying to unravel which programs and jobs will be cut. The department announced Wednesday it is cutting 80 jobs and NC Health and Human Services Department to cut 80 jobs, lose $100 million in federal funding.

“This is a significant amount of funding, and we're going to feel the impacts no matter what,” Kimple said.

Kimple said other job losses may come at the local level, where the funding paid for services at local governments, hospitals and universities.

“We are continuing to work to understand that impact, but also where we can mitigate, knowing that this is a large amount of funding that we can't fill that gap,” Kimple said.

State Sen. Natalie Murdock, D-Chatham and Durham counties, said she is worried more cuts could be ahead. She said the state may not have the money or political will to cover them.

“That is the elephant in the room,” Murdock said. “The uncertainty of federal dollars impacts every single department we have in government.”

Medicaid is among the biggest concerns for lawmakers. President Donald Trump has said he won’t touch the program. However, Congressional Republicans are pushing for big cuts.

“As a state that finally expanded Medicaid, it’s scary,” Murdock said.

Under the state’s Medicaid expansion law, any reduction in federal funding will trigger a shutdown. It would terminate Medicaid access for more than 640,000 people in North Carolina.

WRAL News asked Republican Senate Leader Phil Berger about that, asking whether state leaders are prepared to allow that to happen.

“First of all, I don't think we're going to get to that point,” Berger said. “The folks in Washington have a long history of talking about a lot of things and a very short list of things they actually do.”

Berger said state leaders will deal with it if it becomes a problem. He's not convinced it's a problem yet.