Due to Budget Delay, Medicaid Expansion Will Not Launch on October 1st

PRESS RELEASE - Medicaid expansion will no longer launch Oct. 1 as the North Carolina General Assembly failed to take needed action to meet that date. The NC Department of Health and Human Services has been working diligently, every day, to be ready for Oct. 1. And now, with five days left and clarity that no votes will be taken, the department is confident that legislators will not sign a budget this month, nor pass separate legislation giving the final authorization to provide health coverage to more than 600,000 North Carolinians. A new launch date will be announced following the needed legislative action, but it will not be Oct. 1.

"The delay tragically results in hundreds of thousands of people not being able to access care when they may need it most. Nearly half of the people eligible for expansion would be automatically enrolled in full coverage on day one," said NCDHHS Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. "Each month of delay costs the state hundreds of millions of dollars flowing into communities across North Carolina to support care and treatment for people and help keep providers’ doors open."

In March, overwhelming bipartisan majorities in the NC General Assembly passed legislation expanding Medicaid, finally putting North Carolina on a path to provide access to life-changing care for more than 600,000 North Carolinians. Since that time, NCDHHS has been completing the extensive policy and technical work necessary to launch and working with our partners to be ready on day one. However, the NCGA tied Medicaid expansion going live to the enactment of a state budget which at that time, was expected to be enacted by June 30. NCDHHS announced that if NCDHHS had final authority to move forward with expansion by Sept. 1 — either through the budget or a different piece of legislation — Medicaid expansion would launch on Oct. 1.

A new launch date will not be determined until the NCGA provides final authority. Without more clarity on when that will occur, NCDHHS is not able to commit to a timeline beyond its control. Work, however, will continue so NCDHHS, county and community partners are ready to go live as soon as possible. Unfortunately, this delay will further strain providers who are gearing up to serve people who would be newly eligible.  

NCDHHS appreciates the leadership of the NCGA and Governor Roy Cooper in securing the passage of Medicaid expansion more than five months ago. North Carolinians are counting on the NCGA to move forward with this historic opportunity to improve the health and well-being of the people of our state. Medicaid expansion will be transformative for access to health care in rural areas, for better mental health and for veterans, working adults and their families while bringing billions in federal dollars to the state.

#NASW Action Alert: The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rules on the Physician Fee Schedule for CY 2024, including key reimbursement, HBAI services, social determinants of health, telehealth, and caregiver training services, impacting clinical social workers in Medicare. #NASW calls on #socialworkers to provide comments to CMS by the September 11 deadline. Submit comments by clicking this link: https://tinyurl.com/ycxpa8f3         

Budget Delays Continue
From our community partners at NC Budget & Tax Center:  Thank you for contacting your NC legislator earlier this year to demand that they stop income tax cuts for the wealthiest and corporations and use public funds for the priorities people have for children’s educational success and the health and well-being of families.

Leaders in the General Assembly and powerful forces nationally continue to push North Carolina toward complete elimination of the income tax.  Right now, we're hearing we are about two weeks away from a final budget proposal — a budget proposal that lawmakers will not be allowed to amend. The budget bill will get only an up or down vote. That means this is our last chance to let lawmakers know what our communities need in this biennial budget.

We can join together to demand that lawmakers stop diverting our wealth to the wealthiest and make corporations and the wealthy pay what they owe through taxes. Will you help us by writing a letter to the editor for your local media site, holding our lawmakers accountable to the people? Thank you for continuing to fight for a better budget.

Read Blog:  As school begins, let’s give North Carolina students a fully funded future

HB 574- Fairness in Women's Sports Act-NASW-NC strongly opposed. 
With the passage of HB 574 into law, North Carolina also joins 22 other states that have banned transgender youth from participation in sports. The law took effect immediately.

HB 574 mandates that “athletic teams designated for females, women, or girls shall not be open to students of the male sex,” adding that “a student’s sex shall be recognized based solely on the student’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.”

The law applies to middle school and high school athletics — including charter schools, and non-public schools when they compete with North Carolina public schools. The legislation also includes collegiate athletics, with the exception of intramural sports.

“We must take a stand now to protect women, otherwise, Democrats will do everything they can to eviscerate every even playing field women have,” Sen. Vickie Sawyer, R-Iredell, said in the Senate statement. “Our daughters should not be forced to compete against biological men and overriding Gov. Cooper’s veto of this legislation ensures our daughters do not have to worry about that.”

Very few transgender athletes compete in sports in North Carolina, according to a report from N.C. Health News.

The N.C. High School Athletic Association adopted a policy in 2019 to allow transgender athletes to play on teams that align with their gender identities. Commissioner Que Tucker previously told NC Health News that only 18 requests had been filed since then. Only two of the requests have been from transgender females. 

According to the most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey, nearly half of all LGBTQ+ youth in North Carolina seriously considered attempting suicide, compared to 22% of students overall.

Many LGBTQ+ people, but youth in particular, struggle with mental health due to discrimination or a lack of support. But LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-24 report significantly lower rates of attempting suicide when their school or community is accepting of LGBTQ+ people, ​​according to the Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health.

Read the entire article here: What to know about the new legislation impacting LGBTQ+ youth in North Carolina

September is World Alzheimer's Month.  The campaign theme for World Alzheimer’s Month 2023 is ‘Never too early never too late’. The ‘Never too early, never too late‘ campaign aims to underscore the pivotal role of identifying risk factors and adopting proactive risk reduction measures to delay, and potentially even prevent, the onset of dementia. This includes ongoing risk reduction strategies for individuals who have already received a diagnosis.  

There is growing awareness that Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias can start many years prior to symptoms, likewise awareness of the lifelong brain health interventions and choices that can be made. With the global number of people living with dementia expected to triple by 2050, there has never been a more urgent need to understand and respond to the risk factors associated with this condition.   

Learn more about risk factors and risk reduction here. 

PBS North Carolina to Broadcast 'NCImpact' Town Halls About Mental Health 
PBS North Carolina and the UNC School of Government announce the broadcast premiere of four ncIMPACT town halls about mental health. Moderated by ncIMPACT host and UNC School of Government Professor Anita Brown-Graham, the town halls explore mental health challenges faced by key populations in North Carolina and innovative approaches that foster resilience. 

Each town hall focuses on a specific group particularly impacted by mental health issues like depression, suicide, trauma and substance use. These groups include youth and young adults, veterans, older adults and people impacted by the justice system.

Broadcast Schedule 
ncIMPACT airs Fridays, 7:30 PM, on PBS NC. Stream anytime online or on the PBS App.  

Mental Health Town Hall: Youth and Young Adults 
Premieres Friday, September 1, 7:30 PM 

Mental Health Town Hall: Veterans 
Premieres Friday, September 8, 7:30 PM 

Mental Health Town Hall: Older Adults 
Premieres Friday, September 15, 7:30 PM  

Mental Health Town Hall: People Impacted by the Justice System 
Premieres Friday, September 22, 7:30 PM 

What is #UniteNC?
Pro-Choice North Carolina is excited to join with our partners at Common Cause North Carolina and other organizations across the state for a series of #UniteNC town halls! This is a fantastic opportunity to build our shared power and hold lawmakers accountable. Pro-Choice North Carolina will have materials at all town halls and we’ll be in-person at some of them, too. 

If you're concerned about harmful policies in the state legislature like attacks on abortion access, upcoming elections, and redistricting, join us and speak up for people-first policies!

• September 5: Hendersonville (Henderson)
• September 6: Brevard (Transylvania)
• September 7: Sylva (Jackson)
• September 11: Pitt [Greenville]
• September 12: Scotland’s Neck (Halifax)
• September 14: Hoke / Scotland [Wagram]
• September 18: Cabarrus [Kannapolis]
• September 19: Catawba [Hickory]
• October 1: Dare County
• October 4: Orange County (Hillsborough)
• October 5: Roberson County 
• October 11: Asheville 

And there are more #UniteNC town halls to come…stay tuned! You can register and learn more by clicking HERE.  

All county boards of elections can now print FREE photo ID cards for registered voters in their county who need an acceptable form of ID. http://bit.ly/3rUePe7  

Learn about the state law and what you need to cast your vote in 2023: http://bit.ly/3qQudaU

Item to Watch: 
SB 90- Searches of Student's Person (Children's Law Omnibus) was re-submitted to the K-12 Education Committee with several PCS (proposed committee substitutes) that would change how social workers can support children with their mental health.  The PCS version of the bill would clarify that minors have no authority to consent to mental health treatment unless they believe themselves to be a danger to themselves or others.  NASW-NC OPPOSES ALL PCS SUBMITTED. 

• Challenge school library books and prosecute librarians
• Challenge instructional materials
• Force a superintendent to be dismissed or receive a reduction in pay
• Request for their child to be reassigned to another school or district
• Be informed if their child identifies as transgender or is at risk of suicide
• Prohibit instruction on gender identity, sexual activity and sexuality in fourth and fifth grade
• State that charter schools are not state actors, potentially giving them more leeway to institute dress codes 
   

Due to public backlash and media coverage, SB 90 was pulled from the committee calendar.  Please be on the lookout for more information from NASW-NC if it is reintroduced during this legislative session. 

You can see a copy of SB 90 with the PCS changes by clicking HERE. 

Thank you to the members of NASW-NC for supporting the advocacy work we do. We would not be able to advocate for the social work profession or social justice issues in North Carolina without a robust and engaged NASW membership. If you are a social worker and not a member, we ask that you join NASW today. Our voice is louder with your membership.

Learn more about NASW-NC membership here.

Want this information sent directly to your inbox? Sign up for weekly NASW-NC legislative updates: https://votervoice.net/NASWNC/home