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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 11-19-2013 - 4b 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: November 19, 2013 Action Agenda Item No. 4-b SUBJECT: Resolution Urging the Governor and General Assembly To Expand Medicaid DEPARTMENT: Board of Commissioners PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Attachment 1 - Resolution Urging the Commissioner Penny Rich, 919-245- North Carolina General Assembly and 2130 Governor McCrory to reconsider its decision not to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act to provide coverage for poor and low-income adults Attachment 2 - Resolution Urging the North Carolina General Assembly and Governor McCrory to reconsider its decision not to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act to provide coverage for poor and low-income adults PURPOSE: To consider adoption of a Resolution urging the North Carolina General Assembly and Governor McCrory to reconsider its decision not to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act to provide coverage for poor and low-income adults. BACKGROUND: At the Board of Commissioners November 5, 2013 meeting, Commissioner Penny Rich petitioned the Board to consider a draft Resolution Urging the North Carolina General Assembly and Governor McCrory to reconsider its decision not to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act to provide coverage for poor and low-income adults. The resolution as distributed by Commissioner Rich is provided as Attachment 1. Attachment 2, provided by Staff for Board consideration, is an updated Resolution to include updated/additional statistical information, formatting changes and minor grammatical changes. Commissioner Rich may provide additional information at the meeting. FINANCIAL IMPACT: None RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board consider the Resolution provided at Attachment 2. If approved, the Manager recommends the Board direct the Clerk to the Board to secure Board Member signatures on the Resolution and then forward the approved resolution to the Governor, the leadership of the North Carolina General Assembly, and members of Orange County's legislative delegation. 2 Attachment 1 DRAFT 11.4.13 From: Penny Rich Orange County Board of Commissioners Resolution Urging the North Carolina General Assembly and Governor McCrory to reconsider its decision not to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act to provide coverage for poor and low-income adults WHEREAS, an estimated 5.5 percent of Orange County residents (approximately 7,500 people) are uninsured; and WHEREAS,the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act(the "ACA") expands health insurance coverage for poor and low-income adults by raising the threshold for Medicaid eligibility to 138 percent of the poverty line($26,951 for a family of three); and WHEREAS,the federal government would pay almost the entire cost of expansion—93 percent over the first nine years (2014-2022) according to estimates prepared by the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office; and WHEREAS,the expansion of Medicaid would provide health insurance coverage to nearly 500,000 low-income residents of North Carolina and would save the State of North Carolina and the counties and municipalities therein substantial sums on uncompensated medical care for the uninsured; and WHEREAS,the expansion of Medicaid would bring billions in federal funds to the State and Orange County over a period of ten years and would create many new jobs in the health care sector in Orange County and elsewhere in the State; and WHEREAS,the 2012 Supreme Court Decision upholding the ACA modified the ACA and gave states the choice of whether to expand their Medicaid programs; and WHEREAS,the North Carolina General Assembly in February 2013 adopted legislation refusing to expand Medicaid coverage under the ACA; and WHEREAS,under the ACA residents of North Carolina who have incomes ranging from the poverty level up to four times that amount are eligible for federal tax credits to subsidize the purchase of private health insurance,but without the expansion of Medicaid many below the poverty level will be unable to receive the tax credits, Medicaid or any other assistance with health insurance coverage; and WHEREAS,health insurance coverage rates for employers and individuals purchasing private health insurance coverage in North Carolina will likely rise as hospitals and health care providers throughout the State absorb the unreimbursed costs of providing health care to the uninsured poor and low-income adults who would otherwise be eligible for Medicaid 3 coverage and as those costs are shifted to private pay patients; and WHEREAS,the Orange Board of County Commissioners believes all residents should have access to quality, affordable health coverage and that expansion of Medicaid coverage under the ACA is a responsible means of achieving that desired goal; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Board of County Commissioners of Orange County does hereby urge the North Carolina General Assembly and Governor McCrory to accept federal funds to expand Medicaid in North Carolina. Adopted this day of November 2013 Barry Jacobs, Chairman Earl McKee, Vice Chairman Alice Gordon Bernadette Pelissier Mark Dorosin Renee Price Penny Rich Attest: Clerk to the Board (County Seal) 4 RES-2013-095 Attachment 2 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Resolution Urging the North Carolina General Assembly and Governor McCrory to reconsider their decision not to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act to provide coverage for poor and low-income adults WHEREAS, an estimated 13 percent of Orange County residents (approximately 18,000 people) are uninsured; and WHEREAS, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the "ACA") expands health insurance coverage for poor and low-income adults by raising the threshold for Medicaid eligibility to 138 percent of the poverty line ($26,951 for a family of three); and WHEREAS, the federal government would pay almost the entire cost of expansion — 93 percent over the first nine years (2014-2022) according to estimates prepared by the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office; and WHEREAS, the expansion of Medicaid would provide health insurance coverage to nearly 500,000 low-income residents of North Carolina and would save the State of North Carolina and the counties and municipalities therein substantial sums on uncompensated medical care for the uninsured; and WHEREAS, the expansion of Medicaid would bring billions in federal funds to the State and Orange County over a period of ten years and would create many new jobs in the health care sector in Orange County and elsewhere in the State; and WHEREAS, the 2012 Supreme Court Decision upholding the ACA modified the ACA and gave states the choice of whether to expand their Medicaid programs; and WHEREAS, the North Carolina General Assembly in February 2013 adopted legislation refusing to expand Medicaid coverage under the ACA; and WHEREAS, in Orange County an estimated 7,500 residents (or 42% of the uninsured) who would have qualified for Medicaid under the Federal expansion are now ineligible for Medicaid and Marketplace subsidies, leaving them uninsured; and WHEREAS, under the ACA residents of North Carolina who have incomes ranging from the poverty level up to four times that amount are eligible for federal tax credits to subsidize the purchase of private health insurance, but without the expansion of Medicaid those below the poverty level are ineligible to receive the tax credits, Medicaid or any other assistance with health insurance coverage; and WHEREAS, health insurance coverage rates for employers and individuals purchasing private health insurance coverage in North Carolina will likely rise as hospitals and health care providers throughout the State absorb the unreimbursed costs of providing health care to the uninsured poor and low-income adults who would otherwise be eligible for Medicaid coverage and as those costs are shifted to private pay patients; and 5 WHEREAS, the Orange Board of County Commissioners believes all residents should have access to quality, affordable health coverage and that expansion of Medicaid coverage under the ACA is a responsible means of achieving that desired goal; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Board of County Commissioners of Orange County does hereby urge the North Carolina General Assembly and Governor McCrory to accept federal funds to expand Medicaid in North Carolina. This the day of November 2013. Barry Jacobs, Chair Earl McKee, Vice Chair Alice Gordon Bernadette Pelissier Mark Dorosin Renee Price Penny Rich Attest: Clerk to the Board (County Seal)