A leading North Carolina Republican predicts that the state’s General Assembly will not accept President Biden’s new offer to help provide Medicaid coverage to more than 500,000 low-income residents.
Representative Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth) continues to advocate for a separate plan that would be managed by the state and require recipients to pay insurance premiums. Lambeth, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, wants that plan to take effect July 1.
To this point, however, Lambeth has been unable to advance his plan to a vote in either the House or the Senate.
“The short answer is NC legislators have no interest in expanding Medicaid now,” Lambeth said in an email. “We are involved in a major reform effort to transition Medicaid to a value-based system of care and payments. That is the primary priority right now.”
Biden’s “American Rescue Plan” for Covid-19 relief includes an offer of new incentives to North Carolina and 11 other states that have resisted expanding Medicaid to cover residents who do not earn enough money to afford Obamacare.
In North Carolina, Medicaid is largely an option only for people who are elderly, disabled or the parents of young children.
The Biden plan would provide these states an “additional 5 percent increase in federal share of Medicaid funding . . . for two years, if those states choose to finally expand Medicaid,” said U.S. Rep. David Price (D-Durham). “The North Carolina General Assembly ultimately must make the final decision, and they would be wise to take this deal, which would more than cover the state’s cost of expansion.”
North Carolina Senate President Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) and House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) did not respond to requests to be interviewed for this story.
Lambeth is a sponsor of legislation that would create a program called “Carolina Cares.” He says it will provide health care through private insurance for most of the 500,000 North Carolinians who have now been denied Medicaid. It will also provide an option for health care for others at a cost lower than their present options, he says.
Democrats dispute that, but at least some say they are willing to support it if it ever comes to a vote.
Rep. Mary Belk (D-Charlotte) said “Carolina Cares” has Democratic support in both the House and Senate. However, the Democrats believe that the act will still fall short of covering the 500,000 or more North Carolina residents who have not been able to get access to health care through Medicaid.
To qualify for “Carolina Cares,” a resident’s income should not exceed 133% of the federal poverty line. For a family of four that’s roughly $35,000 annually. Additionally, the resident must be working or looking for work. Participants will also pay monthly premiums.
“Democrats, in general, do not support work requirements or premium support requirements when expanding Medicaid,” Belk said. “Both of these polices would serve to increase the administrative cost of the program, while limiting access through bureaucratic red tape. In practice, some portion of the 500,000 people currently in the insurance gap would stay there.”
Biden’s Covid-19 relief plan also addresses other states that have not expanded Medicaid. They are: Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, Kansas, Wisconsin, South Dakota and Wyoming.
“Democrats in the NC House and Senate, with the support of Governor Cooper, will undoubtedly introduce and support legislation to expand Medicaid in NC, whether the new matching funds are a part of the final relief package or not,” Belk said “However, as the minority party, we do not have the power to get it done without the support of the Republicans.”
Queens University News Service
