NCDHHS launches statewide open enrollment for NC medicaid managed care
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the launch of statewide open enrollment for NC Medicaid Managed Care.
healthcare
John Hood: Reduce health cost, not just price
Through its own regulations, North Carolina restricts the availability of medical services and, as a result, inflates the cost of those services. Rather than looking for ways to redistribute that inflated cost to taxpayers, state policymakers should try deflating it.
Clock may run out on Association Health Plans as cost-saving measure
Lawmakers are fighting to help small businesses afford health insurance, but they’re running out of time. As the pandemic and the shutdowns wreck the economy, thousands of North Carolinians continue to lose their insurance. North Carolina has nearly 1.2 million uninsured residents.
Governor’s health care group has tough time getting past Medicaid barrier
Gov. Roy Cooper is still selling Medicaid expansion, but Republican lawmakers still aren’t buying. The first meeting of the bipartisan N.C. Council for Health Care Coverage, held on Dec. 4, fractured into a partisan divide over expanding Medicaid. Cooper spent hours pushing for Medicaid expansion, but Republican lawmakers declared themselves disappointed in his focus.
John Hood: Will you take the vaccine?
Despite the current spike in COVID-19 infections and deaths, there is good news on the not-so-distant horizon. Three effective vaccines are in the pipeline. Some North Carolinians — those battling coronavirus on the frontlines as well as those put at greatest risk by infection — will being vaccinated in the coming weeks.
NCDHHS Reports increase in Hepatitis A outbreak, urges vaccination
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is urging people to get vaccinated against hepatitis A. The department is reporting a sharp increase in the virus associated with an ongoing outbreak that began in April 2018. Of the 423 cases related to the outbreak, 270 have been reported since January 2020.
Hospital consolidation complicates issues of who’s at fault in Mission Health union debate
by Julie Havlak About a dozen protesters stood in the rain on an Asheville sidewalk at Mission Health on Friday, Aug. 21. Some held umbrellas or “Vote No” signs. A white banner draped over the medical center’s logo urged nurses, “don’t give your voice away.” Passing drivers occasionally honk
N.C.’s obsolete death reporting system keeps public in a fog
by Julie Havlak As death rates spike across the nation, no one knows how many North Carolinians have died since the COVID-19 pandemic struck. New York City’s deaths from all causes soared 663% for the week ending April 11, while deaths rose 41% across the U.S. That’s comp
Opinion: Congress should include health care coverage in COVID-19 relief
by George W. Little North Carolina has been hit hard by the coronavirus. Across the state, families are struggling financially, small businesses are trying to balance operating safely and generating revenue to remain open, and individuals have lost their jobs. I was born and raised her
Opinion: Include health coverage help in pandemic relief bill
by Leroy Lail t seems that every sector of our nation has been hurt by the coronavirus pandemic. From sports to entertainment to restaurants, business is hurting. But I believe the industry that has seen the most dramatic drop is tourism and hospitality. Unfortunately, the nature of a
Rural health care buckles under pressure of Cooper’s COVID shutdowns
by Julie Havlak, Carolina Journal News Service RALEIGH — The COVID-19 shutdowns have ravaged rural health care. Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration froze elective surgeries to prepare for an onslaught of coronavirus patients and at the same time destroyed a major revenue source for hospit