Days after North Carolina’s Republican-led legislature passed long-delayed Medicaid funding, Democrats are calling for further action on healthcare needs.
In a Monday press conference, Democratic state House members urged their Republican colleagues to take up four healthcare bills that aim to protect Medicaid and behavioral health services, better support care for older adults, and keep healthcare services affordable, particularly maternal and cancer care.
All four bills were filed last week. House Bill 1175: the Affordability in Healthcare Act, the lengthiest bill, would enact a variety of reforms aimed at expanding competition in the healthcare market, increasing access to affordable coverage, and combating practices that inflate medical costs.
Stein signs $319M Medicaid funding plan, extending healthcare coverage in NC
Among H1175’s most expansive changes would be the creation of a health purchasing consortium aimed at aligning North Carolina’s various state health plans to collectively drive down costs.
“If we align and consolidate our negotiating leverage, we can negotiate down the cost of healthcare in the millions and get better value for our people,” said Rep. Maria Cervania (D-Wake), one of the bill’s primary sponsors. “Healthcare is not a luxury. It is a basic and fundamental necessity.”
House Bill 1141: Protecting Medicaid & Autism Services would provide $728 million in recurring Medicaid rebase funding in future years in addition to the $319 million provided this year, and would also create a closed network for behavioral health services. House Bill 1127: the Affordable Maternal Access & Cancer Care Act would create a grant program for access to maternal care and expand the availability of cancer screenings.
House Bill 1138: the Aging With Dignity Act would make it easier for older adults to receive coverage for home and community-based living assistance, among other reforms intended to improve their quality of care.
The office of House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Caldwell) did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the bills and the press conference. None of the bills have any Republican cosponsors, so they’re unlikely to get a hearing.
Rep. Cynthia Ball (D-Wake), the deputy Democratic leader of the House, touted H1138 as crucial for preventing “avoidable harm” to North Carolina’s older adults. In particular, she said, it would establish a presumption in favor of home- and community-based care for Medicaid and require regular medication reviews to identify potential conflicting prescriptions.
“For many North Carolina families, healthcare affordability becomes most urgent when a parent, a spouse, or a loved one begins to need long-term care. And I speak from experience, having been fortunate to be able to keep my parents both at home during their years with 24-hour care,” Ball said. “Not many people could. That is when families discover how fragile our system is.”
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