VOLUME 8 ISSUE 40 |
WWW.NSJONLINE.COM
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2023
the
BRIEF this week
Paré ends Congressional bid, running for reelection to NC House Raleigh Wake County Republican Rep. Erin Paré has reconsidered running for Congress in 2024 and will instead seek reelection to her current seat at the General Assembly. “Earlier this year, I announced my intention to run for Congress in NC13. I’ve been humbled by the excitement and support around my candidacy,” Paré wrote in a post on X. “However, after much consideration, Wayne and I have decided that it is not the right time to run for Congress. I will instead seek reelection to my current seat in the North Carolina House in 2024.” Paré, who had raised around $600,000 by mid-October, cited new leadership options at the legislature and wanting to be around to see her kids finish high school as reasons for the shift. New maps drawn for the state’s Congressional districts made the 13th friendlier to Republicans, setting off a scramble among at least seven other announced candidates.
AP PHOTO
Reich out as Panthers start over yet again Former Carolina Panthers coach Frank Reich attends a news conference after an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Read more in Sports.
Hospitals begin receiving funds ahead of Medicaid Expansion launch
A.P. DILLON
Koch network endorses Nikki Haley in Republican presidential primary Columbia, S.C. Americans for Prosperity, the political arm of the powerful Koch network, formally endorsed Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign on Tuesday, promising to commit its nationwide army of activists — and virtually unlimited funds — to helping Haley defeat former President Donald Trump in the GOP primary. The conservative organization was already actively working to undermine Trump’s presidential bid through a series of attack ads and door-way conversations with primary voters. But now, the organization would immediately begin refocusing its efforts on boosting Haley. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
North State Journal
Treasurer warns of impact from pension changes, high cost of obesity drugs By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
married to for over half a century,” Folwell told reporters. The alterations, first proposed in Senate Bill 743 and later integrated into the budget, prevent new employees from joining the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System (TSERS) and mandate their enrollment in the UNC Optional Retirement Program (ORP) or a similar, yet undefined, plan. Moreover, the legislation could potentially jeopardize the tax-exempt status of the pension system, subjecting members to significant back taxes if the IRS deems the new plan as not meeting the requirements for a “governmental plan.” The treasurer also expressed concern for new and returning
RALEIGH — During his monthly call with reporters earlier this month, State Treasurer Dale Fowell warned about the changes made to the participation of UNC Health Care and East Carolina University (ECU) in North Carolina’s pension and health care plans. Folwell warned that the changes included in the 2023 Appropriations Act, which take effect Jan. 1, 2024, might leave state employees and taxpayers with significant liabilities. “This is a direct attack on the state pension system and the state health care system that UNC Health and East Carolina University have been See PENSION, page A8
Holly Springs, a town with explosive population growth, sees policing done right By A.P. Dillon North State Journal HOLLY SPRINGS — The town of Holly Springs in southern Wake County has seen explosive population growth over the past decade. The town has blown past its projected population to hit just shy of 47,400 in 2023 to rolling past 50,000 as of Au-
gust 2023. A decade ago, the town’s population was hovering around 20,000. As a result, the town has faced hurdles both in terms of infrastructure, amenities, roadway, and expanding its police force. North Carolina towns of a similar size to Holly Springs See POLICE, page A4
RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) announced on Monday, Nov. 27 that 102 eligible hospitals in the state will begin receiving payments through the Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program (HASP). HASP funds, administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), reimburse health providers closer to the actual cost of care according to a state-specific formula. Nearly $2.6 billion in funds will be distributed across the state this week. The goal of the program is enable hospitals to then pay for non-federal share costs of expansion. Medicaid Expansion and HASP will be financed through new assessments on North Carolina hospitals and will subsequently allow the state to draw down more than $8 billion each year from the federal government based on expected expansion enrollment when completed. HASP payments are calculated based on in-network Medicaid managed care payments to acute care hospitals, critical access hospitals and hospitals owned or controlled by the University of North Carolina Health Care System (UNC Health) and ECU Health Medical Center. “These payments to hospitals are a lifeline and critical as we work to strengthen rural hospitals and health systems in North Carolina,” NCDHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley said on Monday. “The money will ensure people covered by Medicaid and Medicaid expansion have access to comprehensive physical and behavioral health care services in the communities they live in.” Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, is the official launch date of Medicaid Expansion in the state, which will give access to an estimated 600,000 people full Medicaid coverage. Already, nearly 300,000 people who currently have limited Medicaid family planning benefits will automatically be enrolled. The department has been notifying those individ-
uals and families since early November. As a result of this automatic enrollment, they will need to cancel plans on http://HealthCare.gov once they are in NC Medicaid. “We hope this outreach proactively shares information with North Carolinians who will soon have access to comprehensive health care,” said Kinsley earlier this month. It is expected that the total number of http://HealthCare. gov marketplace plans placing individuals will decrease. In the 2023 open enrollment period, 800,850 North Carolinians signed up using the marketplace. Family Planning Medicaid provides reproductive health care at no cost to people with incomes up to 195% of the federal poverty line — an income of about $2,370 a month for a single person. NCDHHS is asking those who think they are eligible for Family Planning benefits to update their information in ePASS or contacting their county’s Department of Social Services. Eligibility for NC’s Medicaid Expansion includes single adults between the ages of 19 and 64 making $20,120 per year, a family of 2 making $27,214 per year, a family of 3 making $34,307 per year, a family of 4 making $41,400 per year, with each additional person adding $7,094 per year. “Medicaid expansion is a monumental achievement that will save lives and provide better health care while sending billions to our economy,” said Gov. Roy Cooper in a statement this week. “We’re beginning to see the real-life impacts of this extraordinary win for North Carolinians through these first payments to our rural hospitals that have been struggling for years to keep their doors open.”
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