Near-unanimous vote in BergerVille to pass Medicaid expansion
Boy, the *benefits* of a GOP majority just keep rolling in. Veto-proof? Why on Earth would Ol’ Roy want to veto anything this bunch passes?
Here’s the skinny from tax-funded radio news:
A nearly unanimous North Carolina Senate voted Tuesday to expand Medicaid.
For years, Republican lawmakers had opposed efforts to expand the government health care program to an additional half-million people. Tuesday’s vote is the result of changing views and a compromise with the House.
Sen. Joyce Krawiec, R-Forsyth, says she’s no longer worried that the move could hurt the state’s budget. Expansion is expected to add billions of federal dollars to the state’s health care system.
“It’s now a financial win for our state, and many of our rural hospitals particularly have been really struggling,” she said. “I see this as a lifeline for some of our rural hospitals. I think it’s going to be great for them.”
Only two Republicans, Sens. Norm Sanderson, R-Pamlico, and Eddie Settle, R-Wilkes, voted against the bill.
A final vote in the Senate scheduled for Wednesday will send the measure to the House for a final vote. That means the bill could go to Gov. Roy Cooper within days. The change still won’t take effect until after this year’s state budget is passed, likely this summer.
House leaders support the final compromise, which solves a disagreement over the Senate’s proposal to pair expansion with the rollback of health care facility regulations known as Certificate of Need.
Sen. Mike Woodard, D-Durham, compared North Carolina’s long effort to expand Medicaid to Homer’s The Odyssey. He says there’s still more to be done to address the state’s health care needs.
“It never was intended to be a panacea for building a healthier state,” he said. “We still have much work to do. Our odyssey continues.”
[…]
The bill would also add North Carolina to another federal health care funding program known as HASP.
Between HASP, which sends funding directly to health care providers, and a federal “signing bonus” for new Medicaid expansion states, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services says the state will get $8 billion annually.
Under the Certificate of Need changes in the bill, health care providers would no longer need to compete for regulatory approval to build new behavioral health and addiction treatment facilities, as well as new surgical centers in urban counties.[…]
Proctor, Rabon….haven’t I read on this site how they are the warriors, the conservative ones?
Perhaps I’m wrong….
At this point, doesn’t matter….
Die gop…..cause I’m not voting for ya…..
We have A LOT of work to do in the primaries. Berger is a full blown Democrat stooge these days, and so many of our senators are pathetic lemmings who have just voted for the biggest single expansion of government in North Carolina history. Any of these Democrats-in-Drag are absolutely unacceptable to vote for, primary or general election. Throw the rascals O-U-T!
Benedict Arnold Berger did the same thing leading these lemmings to screw the Republican base on HB2 repeal and Green New Deal (HB951) passage. One wonders why he is leading the charge for Roy Cooper’s far left policy objectives. Is he accumluating a big offshore bank account or does Cooper have a picture of Berger in some compromising position, or is Berger just a worthless sellout?
GOP voters badly need to tackle the traitorous Fifth Column within our party.
Were all the things many of these same Senators said for ten years in opposition to Medicaid expansion lies?? How can you stake yourself out so clearly on an issue and then vote the opposite and maintain one ounce of credibility on any subject whatsoever?
John, to offer an answer to you question of “how” I offer these two words, “arm twisting”. It probably goes something like this. If you don’t vote for this yours won’t ———. You fill in the blanks.
Just guessing.
Actually my above was more of a WHY response. But yes I agree with your HOW question. Glad I don’t have to carry that around on my conscience. To fill in the blank would be something like your ( bills to help your constituates) won’t see the light of day. The political beast lives and when a man’s hands close they always close toward himself.