RALEIGH — State Rep. Charles Graham says Robesonians are going to be hurt by North Carolina’s decision to turn down federal dollars to expand Medicaid coverage to an estimated 500,000 of the state’s poor residents.
On Thursday, the House after two days of floor debate voted 75 to 42 to block Medicaid expansion. The vote was along party lines, with Republicans voting against expansion and Democrats voting for the measure that is a key part of President Barack Obama’s health care reform.
The Medicaid expansion would provide additional poor people with the insurance coverage required when the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented next year. The federal government would pay 100 percent of the expanded Medicaid coverage between 2014 and 2016, and then drop to 90 percent by 2020.
“I know we are a poor county and this is going to affect a lot of people,” Graham, a Democrat who represents Robeson County, said shortly after Thursday’s vote. “This has the potential to negatively impact an additional 20,000 to 30,000 individuals that are on the edge and don’t meet the current income levels to receive health care through Medicaid.”
Graham places the blame for blocking Medicaid expansion directly on the GOP.
“We’re here promoting jobs, economic development, educational opportunity, and many other issues important to North Carolina citizens,” he said. “Why would we not support our most deserving and deprived citizens with the same energy and enthusiasm? I’m disappointed that my friends on the other side of the aisle have taken the position not to expand Medicaid to our citizens.”
Graham said that expanding Medicaid would help working families who are still struggling with a sour economy.
“I voted against blocking expansion because we shouldn’t let politics stand in the way of expanding health care coverage to some 500,000 people, creating 23,000 jobs, and preventing the cost of treating the uninsured from being passed on to hardworking taxpayers.” he said. “This short-sighted decision to reject Medicaid expansion will hurt our economy and
the quality of life for many citizens.”
Graham emphasized how Medicaid expansion would benefit not only the individuals needing the assistance, but also medical providers and medical facilities.
“Not providing expanded Medicaid takes away from preventive health care,” he said. “If a poor person doesn’t have Medicaid, they don’t go to a doctor. When they get a serious health condition they end up going to a hospital emergency room. That means a higher cost for the patient, as well as an expense that the hospital and state must absorb.”
Graham said that the other House members representing Robeson County — Garland Pierce, Kenneth Waddell and Ken Goodman, all Democrats — also voted for Medicaid expansion.
Sen. Michael Walters, a Democrat representing Robeson and Columbus counties, voted against blocking the expansion when a version of the bill was voted on in the Senate earlier this month, Graham said.
The bill, which Graham says is about “quality of life,” now goes to Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, for his review. McCrory reportedly has said that the federal government can’t be counted on to pay all the costs for new Medicaid recipients in the future. He also reportedly has said that state Medicaid problems need to be addressed before there is any expansion of the system.
Statewide, Medicaid provides medical coverage for more than 1.5 million residents — and about a third of Robeson County’s residents. About $13 billion in state and federal funds is currently being spent on the program in North Carolina.
for free. Until 2010 when I found out I had cancer. I had to take a leave of abscence. Start going to my cancer physician every week and start a journey of never ending trips out of town each week. I had to have my blood checked each week to see if I could take chemo and then I had to have two blood transfusions. My health insurance was not adequate and my insurance clerk at one of the Drs. office I was seeing said go right now and file for medicaid it will pay for everything take all of your recent bills and apply. Sounded good so I did only thing I had a 401-K plan and they count that in resources when you apply so I was denied. I was drawing $600 monthly on short term disability. My insurance paid $2,000.00 outpatient
and $10,000. Inpatient I had to have a total hysterectomy to remove the cancer and found it spread to two lymphnodes. I could of received chemo at the cancer center but since I did not have enough insurance or qualify for medicaid we had to drive off in another direction several miles and take it at outpatient facility. So I applied twice to ss disability and was granted ss disability the second time. So I wish for these people to have chances I did not have no human should fall through the cracks because we dont know till we walk in those shoes. I had to wait 25 months for medicare and was not going to spend my money I had saved down to a certain amount to get something that other people where getting for free. I want NC to move forward not back.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/funding-is-running-low-for-health-insurance-in-state-high-risk-pools/2013/02/15/cb9d56ac-779c-11e2-8f84-3e4b513b1a13_story.html
If Rep, Graham is going to throw the GOP under the bus...perhaps he should get under the bus FIRST!
I know a little about the Affordable Care Act and the Medicaid Expansion. There are many things that this program does well and many things that need to be changed. I will take a Medicaid exponetial growth of 42% over ten years! If check with any number of organizations including Republicans and independent groups, they will tell you premium for employees working for companies have seen an increase of 82% from 2000-2010. Employers have seen an overall 62% during the same time. The experts you are quoting are stating those percentages are going increase even more.
So, I don't know about you but 42% is better than 62% or 82%. Oh and by the way, under the old insurance rules, you would still pay the 82% with pre-existing conditions not covered and insurance companies wanting only the healthly people.
Don't get me wrong, the US has a difficult situation in front of them when it comes to health insurance. But neither party has the solution and this issue will only continue to get worse.
Apparently you are one of many liberal educated fools in NC.
Keep drinking the kool-aid.
I discovered a hard earned well deserved cup of coffed tastes much better.
The US House Oversight Committee estimates that states who accept to expand their medicaid roles under Obama Care will experience exponentially increased costs, as much as 42% over the next 10 years. This increased costs to the Federal budget will be absolutely unsustainable. Given the dire straits of the federal deficit already, even some of the more liberal members of congress are saying that reimbursements to the states who accept this plan should be one of the first items on the chopping block. Anyone who has had any dealings w/governments (locally to federally) knows that budgets can be manipulated at the will of the majority from yr to yr.
What bothers me mostly about Mr Graham's argument for increased (Affordable Care Act) coverage is that he does not explain that it has all kinds of strings attached to it, or perhaps he doesn't know, or even care.
For instance, States would not receive the increased federal match rate for those previously eligible enrollees. The costs of these new enrollees will be covered under the traditional match rate, meaning that states will be liable for as much as 30-45 percent of the increased costs.
As a result, according to one independent actuarial study, the Medicaid expansion would cost states such as New York as much as $52 billion over 10 years; and taxpayers in states as diverse as Florida and Kansas could be hit with $20 billion in new taxes by 2022. These costs are simply not affordable.
Mr. Graham has made & still is making a very affluent living on the backs of working North Carolinians. Why would he not support the expansion of medicaid? Ask Him when you see him how much his business gets from medicaid services.
Please comment on all future Obamacare articles in an effort to keep the public informed.
It is correct that the state will receive only the previous match rate for new enrollees meeting the old guidelines, but this would be the case without Obamacare as well.
Last, it is paid for. Taxes on incomes above $250,000 annually (9/10 %)and medical equipment and slower growth in medical cost along with less fraud pays for this program. It also removes us from being the only industrial country in the world that fails to provide health care.
Cost will grow, as currently medical cost amounts to 18% of GDP and is projected to reach 32% in less than 20 years. The 18% is not acceptable, let alone the 32%. These amounts were without Obamacare, which has seen the smallest increase in medical inflation in over 50 years since its passage. But, lets assume that Obamacare did not pass, what would you do to deal with the rising cost of medical care? Doing nothing is not an option, as our economy cannot grow with the current 18% of GDP allotted to medical cost. Action had to be taken even not considering the 22% of our population insured, so what would you do?