State to get more than $ 439 million in Medicaid relief

 

Thursday, Mar 05,2009, 4:31:50 PM   Click:

State to get more than $ 439 million in emergency Medicaid Jennifer Calhoun The Fayetteville Observer, NC McClatchy-Tribune Regional News
February 26 - North Carolina will receive more than $ 439 million in aid through Medicaid, the federal government's stimulus program, the White House announced Wednesday.

The money is part of a $ 15 billion package to help states pay for the costs of their Medicaid programs that serve people with disabilities and people who are unable to pay for private insurance.

It is likely that the State will use the money to pay what should be an increase in the number of people receiving Medicaid because of job loss or loss of private health insurance because of the economy, said Brad Dean, a spokesman for the State Department of Health and Human Services.

Normally, the rule applies to the federal government for more money than the number of people on Medicaid has increased, "said Dean. But this plan allows states to make money faster than they normally would, he said.

Brenda Reid Jackson, director of Cumberland County Department of Social Services, said she does not know exactly how the money will be distributed - whether it will be received by a county or in another way.

Dean said the money May not be distributed by county, because Medicaid is a program right for individuals.

It is too early to say whether the extra money means more people will be eligible for Medicaid, "said Dean.

"It's one of those things that defies any form of cut-and-dried conversations," he said.

It is also too early to know when the money will be available to help those it is supposed to help, "said Jackson.

"We want to be good stewards of that stimulus money," she says. "We want to take the time to do something that would be an advantage for the system."

The State has the right to receive a portion of the money Wednesday, but the amount was not clear, "said Dean. Other states have been eligible for the money Tuesday.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said North Carolina was one of four countries considered ineligible because of recent changes to eligibility criteria. Dean said the announcement was a misunderstanding, and that North Carolina has not changed its eligibility requirements.

The confusion stems from the fact that last year, the state corrected a technical error in policy in 1995, said Dean. The State sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid which clarified the situation, and the problem has been corrected, "said Dean.

The state Medicaid program served about 1.7 million people in fiscal 2006-07, according to the website of the state Department of Health and Human Services.

The state Medicaid budget is one of the largest in the state, and is the second in the overall budget for primary and secondary education, the site said.

Staff writer Jennifer Calhoun can be reached at 486-3595 or calhounj@fayobserver.com.

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