Editorial: By not expanding Medicaid, legislators fail those who most need their help

Friday, June 15, 2018 -- Whether it is shorting young North Carolinians $50 million intended to bolster early-child care and education; under-funding public school health services like nurses, psychologists and counselors; failing to help that those with pre-existing health conditions get access to affordable coverage; or "forgetting" to fund a suicide hotline; those in control of the legislature are overlooking citizens who most need their help.

Posted 9:00 a.m. Jun 15, 2018 — Updated 9:00 a.m. Jun 15, 2018

CBC Editorial: Friday, June 15, 2018; Editorial # 8312

The following is the opinion of Capitol Broadcasting Company

If ignorance is bliss, the state Senate might be the happiest place on the planet. It also may be where the largest number of President Barack Obama haters hang out.

The logical conclusion: It is not about state money since the state’s hospitals have agreed to a plan that would cover the 10 percent cost of Medicaid expansion that isn’t being paid for through federal funds.

That’s the only way to comprehend the unrelenting opposition to even study, much less expand, health care coverage to more than half-a-million citizens who don’t have it now. It is hatred of Obama. Period.

It is far past time that North Carolina expands health coverage, as have 34 other states including most recently, Virginia.

Earlier this week Medicaid expansion opponent House Speaker Tim Moore reluctantly allowed a bill on rural health issues to include a provision to have the state Department of Health and Human Services study "whether there are changes to the Medicaid Program that will increase preventative health services, improve health outcomes, and lower the overall costs of care." Twenty-five Republicans, including Appropriations Chairman Rep. Nelson Dollar of Wake County, joined all the House Democrats in voting for the amendment.

It took barely a day for this token gesture to be stripped by a Senate Committee from the legislation. Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell, said the provision wasn’t needed because the legislature’s program evaluation unit could handle the matter, if necessary.

Does anyone care that refusal to expand Medicaid coverage is, truly, a life and death matter?

At least 38 people a month – nearly 2,000 in North Carolina since 2014 when the Medicaid expansion program was available – die because they don’t have access to adequate health care, research shows.
How many cases of breast cancer were not identified because there have been 52,000 annual mammograms missed?
How many North Carolinians suffered because 36,000 diabetics have had to go without their medication?
hy would anyone oppose something that would add 62,000 jobs to the North Carolina economy?

Whether it is shorting young North Carolinians $50 million intended to bolster early-child care and education; under-funding public school health services like nurses, psychologists and counselors; failing to help that those with pre-existing health conditions get access to affordable coverage; or “forgetting” to fund a suicide hotline; those in control of the legislature are overlooking citizens who most need their help.

Legislative leaders can obfuscate all they want. There are strong economic, social and moral reasons to expand Medicaid. There are no reasons other than ideological nonsense not to.

Our current crop of legislative leaders and their “think tank” partners regularly shame, blame and disregard low income citizens. Then they do their best to make it harder for them to vote. Why else would anyone want to rearrange early voting to eliminate one of the busier days?

Voters are seeing the real choices they’ll have at the polls in November.

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