NC Medicaid Expansion
Executive Summary
As servants of the people of North Carolina, government has the responsibility to work in the best interests of the its residents. After careful research and consideration, the conclusion has been drawn the expanding Medicare eligibility, under the guidelines associated with the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA), would best meet that interest. This conclusion was based on four factors and determinations listed below:
Factor
Determination
The potential long-term cost to the North Carolina taxpayer
487,000 additional North Carolinians would be afforded health insurance
The potential long term benefit of health coverage for uninsured
The additional cost of implementing the Medicaid expansion is estimated to be a 4.5 percent increase from what states would have spent between 2014 and 2022 without the health reform law
Readiness of current system to handle expansion
DHHS has accelerated developmental work on a Web-based eligibility simplification and electronic eligibility determination system for income-related programs, including Medicaid
Concern regarding the federal government 's continuing of its obligation for matching funds under the terms of the Medicaid expansion
The concern for current Medicaid matching funds is of concern. Appropriate measures for shortfalls, including reduction in benefits and eligibility, that pertain to Medicaid now should be afforded to Medicaid expansion.
While there should be appropriate concern for both readiness and the federal government’s inability to maintain funding, the overriding factors should be cost and benefit. For the period 2013-2022, there would be an approximate 4.5% increase in state Medicaid spending required to insure the additional 487,000 residents estimated to receive coverage under ACA. By insuring 487,000 more North Carolina residents, there will be a reduction in safety-net providers reimbursements, increased health of our residents, increase worker
As servants of the people of North Carolina, government has the responsibility to work in the best interests of the its residents. After careful research and consideration, the conclusion has been drawn the expanding Medicare eligibility, under the guidelines associated with the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA), would best meet that interest. This conclusion was based on four factors and determinations listed below:
Factor
Determination
The potential long-term cost to the North Carolina taxpayer
487,000 additional North Carolinians would be afforded health insurance
The potential long term benefit of health coverage for uninsured
The additional cost of implementing the Medicaid expansion is estimated to be a 4.5 percent increase from what states would have spent between 2014 and 2022 without the health reform law
Readiness of current system to handle expansion
DHHS has accelerated developmental work on a Web-based eligibility simplification and electronic eligibility determination system for income-related programs, including Medicaid
Concern regarding the federal government 's continuing of its obligation for matching funds under the terms of the Medicaid expansion
The concern for current Medicaid matching funds is of concern. Appropriate measures for shortfalls, including reduction in benefits and eligibility, that pertain to Medicaid now should be afforded to Medicaid expansion.
While there should be appropriate concern for both readiness and the federal government’s inability to maintain funding, the overriding factors should be cost and benefit. For the period 2013-2022, there would be an approximate 4.5% increase in state Medicaid spending required to insure the additional 487,000 residents estimated to receive coverage under ACA. By insuring 487,000 more North Carolina residents, there will be a reduction in safety-net providers reimbursements, increased health of our residents, increase worker
References: 26How Would Medicaid Expansion Affect North Carolina?, n.d. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Retrieved on September 30, 2013, from http://www.cbpp.org/files/healthtoolkit2012/NorthCarolina.pdf 27Updated Budget Projection: Fiscal Years 2013-2023, 2013. Congressional Budget Office. Retrieved on October 2, 2013, from http://www.cbo.gov/publication/44172 28 The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. 29 CBO’s Estimate of the Net Budgetary Impact of the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Coverage Provisions Has Not Changed Much Over Time. 2013. Congressional Budget Office. Retrieved on October 2, 2013, from http://www.cbo.gov/publication/44176 30The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. 31Sonier J, Fried B, Au-Yeung C, and Auringer B, 2013. ‘State-Level Trends in Employer- Sponsored Health Insurance:A State-by-State