North Carolina Hospital CEOs Tout Benefits Of Medicaid Expansion To Governor, Health Leaders
The consensus from the hospitals was that Medicaid expansion wouldn’t solve all their problems overnight, but they agreed it would go a long way to relieving pressure on their emergency departments and create a healthier patient population. Medicaid news comes out of Tennessee, as well.
North Carolina Health News:
Rural Hospital CEOs Call For Medicaid Expansion
At a roundtable meeting Wednesday seven CEOs of rural North Carolina hospitals explained to Gov. Roy Cooper and state Health and Human Services Sec. Mandy Cohen that expanding Medicaid would help their institutions keep the doors open. There were some common elements to all their stories. For starters, all of their hospitals are operating on thin margins. The group nodded in agreement as each talked about excessive use of their emergency departments and the uncompensated care resulting from ED patients who were uninsured or unable to pay. (Knopf, 4/29)
Nashville Tennessean:
Katie Beckett Waiver: Lawmakers Agree To Fully Fund Medicaid Waiver For Disabled Children
Just days away from ending their legislative session, both chambers in the Tennessee legislature appear close to a consensus on a $38.5 billion budget, including fully funding a Medicaid waiver for disabled children. While the Senate last week proposed funding only a portion of the Katie Beckett waiver program — citing concerns about the House's plan to use revenue from expanded online sales tax collection — a key Senate committee on Monday moved to fully fund the $27 million program through other revenue sources, along with the entirety of the House's budget. (Allison, 4/29)