Medicaid Expansion Remains A Primary Sticking Point In North Carolina Budget Stalemate
North Carolina's Republican-led state legislature plans to adjourn by Oct. 31, with or without an approved budget. Earlier in the summer, Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a budget bill, in part because it did not include Medicaid expansion. In Florida, state Medicaid officials recommend cuts to its program for people with disabilities, though the caps were not as severe as some had initially feared. And in other state budget news, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer defends her line-item vetoes.
The Associated Press:
Republicans, Cooper Again Pitch Favored NC Budget Results
North Carolina Republican legislators and Democrats led by Gov. Roy Cooper tried on Tuesday to bring renewed energy toward resolving a summer budget stalemate that’s drifted into fall. But their hoped-for outcomes remain different. Republican Senate leader Phil Berger announced his chamber will adjourn for the year by Oct. 31 with or without an enacted budget. He also kept open the idea of passing a spending plan by completing the override of Cooper’s budget bill veto or working out a side deal with Senate Democrats. ... Cooper vetoed the GOP’s two-year state budget in late June largely because it lacks Medicaid expansion for hundreds of thousands of low-income adults and what he considers robust pay raises for teachers. (Robertson, 10/1)
The Associated Press:
Medicaid Expansion Subject Of N Carolina Democrats' Hearing
North Carolina Democrats at the legislature are trying to build momentum to expand Medicaid to more low-income residents now that some House Republicans recently revived the idea. The House and Senate minority leaders scheduled a hearing for Tuesday at the Legislative Building on the need to offer Medicaid to more uninsured adults. Other expansion advocates planned a news conference earlier in the morning. The hearing isn’t an official committee meeting, so no bill can move through the legislative process there. (10/1)
Tampa Bay Times:
Florida’s Medicaid Program For People With Disabilities Facing Budget Cuts
State health officials recommended limited cuts to a Medicaid program for people with disabilities Monday, after months of deliberating on potential changes that could affect more than 34,500 clients who depend on the program for services. The recommended cuts were much lower than advocates for clients with developmental disabilities had feared. But the decision will be up to the Legislature, which ordered a redesign of the program and will consider the recommendations in its 2020 session. (Koh, 10/1)
Health News Florida:
Report Recommends Changes In Disabilities Medicaid Program
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration on Monday recommended the state keep intact a Medicaid “waiver” program for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities but called for a redesign of how the so-called iBudget program works, including capping amounts people could spend annually on services designed to keep them at home. The DeSantis administration turned over to legislative leaders a required report that contains 11 recommendations for lawmakers to consider when they begin the 2020 session in January. (Sexton, 10/1)
Detroit Free Press:
Gretchen Whitmer Defends 2020 Michigan Budget Vetoes
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer defended at a news conference Tuesday her extraordinary use of line-item vetoes to slash close to $1 billion from the 2020 state budget and called on Republican leaders to meet with her Thursday to restart negotiations on the spending plan. ...Some of the cuts resulting from vetoes appeared targeted at rural areas that tend to elect Republican lawmakers. Those include $13.1 million for secondary road patrols, $16.6 million for rural hospitals, and close to $8 million to pay for rural obstetricians. Whitmer also vetoed tens of millions of dollars in rate increases for hospitals, pediatric psychiatrists, neonatologists, and private duty nurses. (Egans, 19/2)
