House Republicans are set
to unveil their budget proposal tomorrow. Check the LockerRoom for early reactions.
We’ll also have more in next week’s Update.
We covered changes to the State Health Plan last week. Blue
Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) released its full contract to
run the plan. The state pays BCBSNC on a cost-plus basis for its work.
Paul Ryan’s "Path to Prosperity" may
be the moment when the rise of the oceans of debt began to slow and our
budget began to heal. But Gov. Perdue
opposed the plan even before it was released. She joined other Democratic
governors in a letter against Medicaid block grants.
A block grant would give states flexibility to tailor the Medicaid program as
necessary without seeking federal permission. Former Rhode Island
Health and Human Services Secretary Gary Alexander said his state’s block grant
is "the sole reason why Rhode Island possessed a state budget surplus in
SFY2010." We at the John Locke Foundation have recommended block
grants for Medicaid more
than once.
The governors’ complain that block grants won’t keep up with changes in
population or economic conditions, natural disasters or epidemics. I would have
more sympathy if Gov. Perdue and others were not actively supporting ObamaCare,
which makes Medicaid unaffordable this year and removes all future flexibility
for states to fix the program for themselves.
On a related ObamaCare note, the federal law exempts health care sharing
organizations from the insurance mandate. A newly
introduced bill would also exempt them from state insurance regulations.
On tap at the #NCGA
TUESDAY
10:00 AM House Health and Human Services 544 LOB
H614 DMA Post Public Notices of Change on Website: online notice for 90 days
H377 Strengthening Residential Placement: Medicaid mental health rules
H647 Diabetes Task Force: not things that can be legislated, but will report legislation by
February 2013
1:00 PM Insurance 1228/1327 LB
H115 North Carolina Health Benefit Exchange: as I explained in the Fayetteville Observer, the best policy this year is to do nothing.
WEDNESDAY
11:00 AM Health Care 544 LOB
S307 Smart Card Biometrics Against Medicaid Fraud: pilot
fingerprints and other biometrics to stop Medicaid fraud
S437 Enact First Evaluation Program: expand who can make initial decisions on involuntary commitments
S449 Task Force on Fraud Against Older Adults: Will there be separate laws for fraud against
seniors than for fraud against other North Carolinians?
S450 Direct Care Worker Wage and Benefit Study: not enough of them for all the Baby Boomers, see
below
S451 Extend Reporting on Baby Boomer Preparations: more meetings to come up with more laws to deal
with more baby boomers
Click here for the Health Care Update archive.
