Rep. Robert Pittenger
WASHINGTON – North Carolina stands to gain $7 billion in additional federal healthcare funding under the Graham-Cassidy healthcare reform legislation, with up to $1.4 billion of that additional funding dedicated to Medicaid.
The estimates are based on the Graham-Cassidy funding model, which awards block grants based on the percentage of population within a certain range of the federal poverty line. An earlier press release inadvertently referenced the wrong number.
“Obamacare attempts to force individuals into a one-size-fits-all model. As a result, rates in North Carolina have skyrocketed 176 percent since 2013,” said Congressman Robert Pittenger (NC-09). “Graham-Cassidy equitably distributes over $1 trillion to the states and gives them flexibility to address local healthcare needs. This model provides substantial funding to cover pre-existing conditions, helps make healthcare affordable, frees hardworking Americans from onerous Washington mandates, and imposes common sense work requirements for able-bodied Medicaid beneficiaries.”
·Graham-Cassidy appropriates a specified amount of funding per year, and then allocates those funds among the states based largely on each state’s share of individuals between 45 and 133 percent of the federal poverty level.
·North Carolina’s share of the population would result in a net increase of $7 billion over the next 10 years, according to the Graham-Cassidy estimates.
·States would be allowed to use up to 20% of their block grant for Medicaid spending, meaning North Carolina would have the ability to increase Medicaid by $1.4 billion.
·A second, independent analysis by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association concurs with this estimate, showing North Carolina would gain $7 billion over 10 years. Of that, $1.4 billion would be available for additional Medicaid programming.
The Graham-Cassidy proposal defunds Planned Parenthood for one year and adds pro-life protections to the tax credits. As a leader of the Pro-Life Caucus, Congressman Pittenger has met this year with Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker Paul Ryan to ensure pro-life protections remain in the final legislation.
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