The Latest on Medicaid Expansion and North Carolina
- BY Sarah Coffey
Twelve states continue to stand strong against the pressure to expand Medicaid to able-bodied populations at the expense of the truly needy. Under the Biden administration, even as Congress debates setting up a fully federally funded Medicaid program in non-expansion states, that pressure on states is building, with gimmicks, sweetheart deals, and outright bullying to make the final states fall in line with ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion.
North Carolina is one such state. With the pressure from Washington, D.C. mounting, Republicans in the North Carolina Senate have been entertaining expansion as part of a budget deal with the governor in hopes of getting out ahead of any federal mandates. It’s a very bad deal.
The Tar Heel State would be wise to dig in their heels and continue to put up a fight against expansion. The lessons learned from the 38 other states that have expanded are proof enough that it will only serve to hurt low-income North Carolinians by forcing people off private plans, crowding out essential services in the budget, and making Medicaid waiting lists even longer.
Here’s what’s being said about Medicaid Expansion and North Carolina:
North Carolina Republicans Go Wobbly on Medicaid Expansion—From the Wall Street Journal:
“Medicaid is designed for low-income families, but Medicaid expansion brings able-bodied working-age adults into the program. Our research shows that nearly 40% of those who would be covered in North Carolina already have signed up for or have access to free federally funded private health insurance through premium tax credits—coverage they would lose if expansion passed.”
North Carolina Should Look Before It Leaps on Medicaid Expansion—From Real Clear Politics:
“As far back as 2014, Arkansas Senator Bryan King (R) warned other states not to expand after watching his state’s ‘unmitigated disaster.’ That’s what North Carolina will find when it looks at the track record of ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion in other states. Its history is one of big but empty promises.”
Medicaid Expansion is a Leaky Boat—From Real Clear Policy:
“…the truth is Medicaid expansion often does more harm than good. Because Medicaid only pays providers a measly 60 percent of private insurance rates, only 71 percent of providers nationwide currently accept it. This frequently makes it difficult for enrollees to access care. Adding yet more people to the program promises to make this bad problem worse.”
FGA Stands Against Medicaid Expansion in North Carolina
“Medicaid expansion is welfare expansion for able-bodied adults who should be working. It will crush the state budget, take from the truly needy, and force people who already have private health insurance onto the welfare rolls.” said Sam Adolphsen, Policy Director at FGA. “A term-limited governor like Roy Cooper may not have to deal with the long-term budgetary consequences, but his constituents would pay the price – state-level cost of roughly $6 billion over 10 years. What a disaster this would be for state taxpayers, the truly needy, and North Carolina employers desperate for workers.”
Medicaid Expansion: A Boulevard of Broken Dreams for North Carolina
“Shifting patients off private health care plans and into Medicaid is a problem for providers, not a solution. In expansion states, costs are shifted to other patients and hospitals continue to struggle. In fact, non-expansion states have actually seen faster hospital job growth than expansion states.”
States Hold the Key to Unlocking Federal Medicaid Handcuffs—From Townhall:
“Being handcuffed to Leftist principles that suggest anyone should be allowed to enroll in Medicaid—even if they don’t meet the eligibility standards—is putting undue pressure on states’ welfare systems at a time when we need all available hands on deck for a strong economic recovery.”