medicaid

Got questions or comments about the McCrory Administration’s plan to privatize much of the state’s Medicaid system?

Health and Human Services Secretary Aldona Wos and Medicaid Director Carol Steckel will hold two public hearings today and again on Thursday to answer questions about privatizing the $13 billion program and what it would mean for patients and health care providers.

Thursday in Greenville:
1:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
East Carolina Heart Institute at ECU
115 Heart Drive, Greenville, NC
RSVP: http://ncdhhs-greenville.eventbrite.com/ or to RSVP@dhhs.nc.gov

In keeping with the fine tradition of the McCrory administration, Aldona Wos looks citizens in the eye and lies through her teeth. Thank goodness North Carolina Health News was on the scene.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Aldona Wos told an audience in Reidsville today that the decision not to expand the state’s Medicaid program came from state Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin. Her comments came during a community forum held at Annie Penn Hospital during a question-and-answer period with the audience of 70 to 80 hospital personnel, community members and medical professionals.

To which the Department of Insurance had this to say:

At a town hall meeting in Lillington State Representative David Lewis responded to a question about the affect on rural hospitals as a result of the rejection of the Affordable Health Care Act Medicaid increases. The loss of (DISH?) funds as a result will make it difficult for hospitals that absorb the costs of indigent care to make ends meet. Representative Lewis said the GA was looking at ways to help offset this loss of funds. He also said that it is possible that down the road the AHCA Medicaid issue could be revisited and the funds accepted to insure the additional 500k.

Few folks I know really take the time to understand what's really going on with Medicaid. Most just listen to the double-talk coming out of McCrory & Wos and roll their eyes in disbelief. Not Rose Hoban. She's digging into the substance with in-depth coverage that is well worth your time.

Interviews with Wos and Steckel, complete with transcript attached.
http://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2013/04/12/state-health-leaders-d...

Monday/ Tuesday was a two part story. How "Broken" is NC Medicaid?
http://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2013/04/15/how-broken-is-nc-medic...
http://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2013/04/16/nc-medicaid-has-streng...

Check it out.

If there was ever any doubt who's in charge of the McCrory administration, those doubts have been put to rest by McCrory's proposal to privatize Medicaid. This is Art Pope's agenda at his rapacious worst.

Over the years, Mr. Pope has made a fortune by selling cheap junk to poor people through his Dollar Stores. Now he's pushing that business model into North Carolina state government.

Mr. Pope's plan will break a public health system that is already operating very effectively, shifting public dollars onto the balance sheets of private companies. If you are a taxpayer in North Carolina, this means your money will be spent to help Pat McCrory's friends get richer, while services to people in need will get harder to come by. That's just flat-out wrong.

Our governor’s refusal to set up expanded Medicaid in the state of North Carolina will not only cost our citizens the benefits that come from well over 20,000 new jobs and better health care, but will cost our existing businesses money. Bloomberg news is reporting that:

Governors who refuse to expand their Medicaid programs for the poor may cost employers in their states as much as $1.3 billion in federal fines, a study found.

State Auditor Beth Wood to discuss Medicaid Audit

The Senate Committee on Appropriations on Health and Human Services will meet at the following time:

ROOM 643 Legislative Office Building, Jones Street, Raleigh
Thursday February 14, 2013 8:30 AM

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NC Secretary of Health & Human Services Wos to present priorities for NCGA biennium to Joint Committee Meeting next Wednesday.

The Senate Committee on Appropriations on Health and Human Services will meet at the following time: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 8:30 AM

ROOM 643 Legislative Office Building, Jones Street, Raleigh

(for more info see www.ncleg.net for the NCGA legislative calendar and contact information)

It's beyond lunacy, but it's in the process of happening. The NC General Assembly (our esteemed legislature), under GOP domination, is about to approve legislation denying health insurance coverage to 500,000 North Carolina citizens.

Not only would NC taxpayers NOT be charged extra for this coverage, but it would bring in a half-BILLION federal dollars to the NC economy in 2014 alone. Hospitals, especially rural ones in the toughest economic status, are desperate for this help.

So: Humanitarianism, check; economic rationality, check. But not Ideologically Correct for the radical right ideologues who currently drive state policy.

Last week our new deputy assistant governor Pat McCrory called a press conference to tout the findings of an audit of the states medicaid program and low and behold we have a 1.4 billion dollar shortfall.

"This is evidence that the system is broken and over spending is the reason." I'm not sure, but I swear Governor Pope was standing behind Pat with his arm buried shoulder deep up Mcrory's ass moving his lips.

New Sec. of HHS Aldona Wos declared,"Cost overuns will not be tolerated and will not be accepted."
Phil Booger proclaimed the state cannot handle a bigger program. By that he meant, "This is just a set up to avoid setting up a state controlled exchange."

What they didn't say was their own budget was responsible. Republican Lanier Cansler former Sec of HHS did, in 2011. Cansler stated on WRAL,"It's really going to be impossible to achieve this budget, and I'm not sure where the legislature will go with that."