Medicaid key in NC Budget

Medicaid deal key to everything else in state budget

 MIKE HANSON / NBC Charlotte

Posted on June 27, 2014 at 6:26 PM

Updated today at 8:07 PM

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Lawmakers in Raleigh have left for the weekend, but next week promises to set up serious negotiations on Medicaid spending. Medicaid in North Carolina is a $13 billion program that acts as a healthcare safety net for people who cannot take care of themselves. The federal government pays two-thirds, and the state pays the rest. In Mecklenburg County, 150,000 people receive some kind of Medicaid assistance.

 

In previous years, the Department of Health and Human Services has been off by hundreds of millions of dollars in how much the state must pay for Medicaid claims leading lawmakers scrambling to find ways to pay for it.

 

The Senate budget wants to use federal standards in qualifying people for Medicaid. By doing so, roughly 5,000 people would lose Medicaid coverage. In addition, 6,000 teacher assistants would be out of work to help pay for Medicaid and provide teacher pay raises.

 

The governor and House leaders do not want to see that happen.

 

"That's a major decision we all have to have and again, I want to compliment my colleagues in the Senate who are worried about, based upon past history, past projections, and at the same time I want to make sure we do not present the wrong number that's too large at the sacrifice of Medicaid patients who desperately need care at our nursing homes, or teacher assistants who are providing a vital service to our schools,” said Governor Pat McCrory at an education announcement press conference Wednesday.

 
More at link.

http://www.wcnc.com/news/editors-pick/Medicaid-deal-key-to-everything-else-in-state-budget-264975901.html?google_editors_picks=true