Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Medicaid Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Durham commissioner warns proposed federal Medicaid changes could risk coverage for thousands
Summary
Commissioner Wendy Jacobs told the Board that NCDHHS staff raised concerns the proposed federal Medicaid changes could reduce the federal funding share, potentially affecting roughly 650,000 North Carolinians and more than 22,000 Durham residents; she urged constituents to share personal stories with the state’s congressional delegation.
Commissioner Wendy Jacobs told the Durham County Board of County Commissioners on April 28 that staff from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services warned about several proposed federal Medicaid changes that could reduce federal funding and prompt coverage losses. Jacobs said those changes, if enacted, could put “the 650,000 North Carolinians and more than 22,000 Durham residents who just received health care in the past year due to Medicaid Expansion” at risk.
Jacobs relayed three specific concerns reported by NCDHHS staff: reduced federal funding share for the state, the imposition of work requirements without local funding to implement them, and a change to more frequent recertification (potentially moving from annual to monthly reviews). She said NCDHHS staff warned these steps would likely lead to coverage losses and impose “a huge local expense” on county departments that administer eligibility and enrollment.
“Personal stories matter,” Jacobs said, urging residents to contact North Carolina’s congressional delegation. The Board was asked to encourage constituents to reach out to Sen. Thom Tillis, Sen. Ted Budd and Rep. Valerie Foushee to describe how Medicaid expansion affects their families and local providers, Jacobs said.
Jacobs said the state’s Medicaid enrollment and certification processes are currently effective and that NCDHHS believes fraud in the system to be low; the concern, she said, is that procedural changes could nonetheless result in people losing coverage. She noted the broader system impact: about a third of North Carolinians now receive care through Medicaid, which county health centers and local behavioral health providers rely on.
The Board took no formal vote on federal policy during the meeting. The report was presented as information; Jacobs asked staff and residents to elevate constituent stories to federal lawmakers as congressional budget decisions proceed.
