Man can't get life-saving surgery due to NC lawmakers delaying Medicaid expansion
For months now, legislative leaders have downplayed the effects of delaying Medicaid expansion. It can't begin until they pass the state budget, which is already nine weeks late.
For some people, though, the delay is literally a life-or-death situation. One man in that situation came to talk to state leaders Thursday – but never got to meet with them.
Anthony Brooks is living on borrowed time. He was diagnosed a year ago with acute heart failure. He needs medical care, including a $100,000 surgery, to save his life. But he was dropped from Medicaid in April after the COVID emergency ended. His monthly disability check is around $1,200, which is $7 over the current limit to qualify for Medicaid coverage.
"I wake up, it’s like a nightmare," Brooks said. "I need help."
If expansion had begun when lawmakers approved it in March, Brooks would not have lost his coverage and would be able to get the surgery he needs. But lawmakers made expansion contingent on the passage of the state budget, and they've been locked in a stalemate over it for months.
Medicaid expansion has already been delayed from Oct. 1 to Dec. 1 because of the budget stalemate. Brooks isn't sure he’ll live long enough to see it.
"That leaves me on the side of the road, signing my death certificate, dead," Brooks said of the current delay. "I mean, how can they sleep at night?"
Brooks said he’s called and emailed to get appointments with legislative leaders, but hasn’t gotten any response. So, he and a group of supporters traveled from eastern North Carolina to Raleigh to try to meet with them about the urgent need to expand Medicaid coverage as soon as possible.
"This could be your mother, your grandmother, one of your kids, your nieces, nephews. We need this," Brooks said, gesturing around him at the empty hallways. "We work for this. We pay for this."
Senate Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, did not meet with Brooks. He said he wasn’t aware Brooks was hoping to talk with him.
"I don't know that there's anything on my calendar as far as meeting with a constituent," Berger told WRAL News.
House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, wasn’t even at the legislature.
"What is he, on vacation? On his yacht? I don't understand. He needs to be up here working [to finish the budget]," Brooks said.
"We pay their salaries, their health insurance. We get blown off. It's not fair," he added.
Moore's spokeswoman said the speaker is out of state at a conference, but will return Friday.
Moore and Berger have said they expect to pass the budget next week. However, they both say they still need to resolve some big issues, like whether to expand casino and video slot machine gambling.
Brooks says he doesn’t have time to wait for that. He’s not sure what else he can do to make lawmakers understand that for some people, getting the budget passed is actually a life-or-death situation.
"If they don’t listen now, we’re gonna have to start hauling body bags up here," he said.
