North Carolina’s Legislature could vote next week on a reform plan to privatize the state’s $14 billion Medicaid program, which covers about 2 million residents.• Quotes: "The biggest fallacy in the entire bill is that the N.C. General Assembly is not responsible for cost overruns so it can wash its hands of future mistakes. Their message has been that if there are cost overruns then the state is not on the hook financially for them, but the managed care companies or the regional ‘Provider Led Entities’ are,” says Duke University professor of public policy Donald H. Taylor Jr. • “There are some decent ideas in this bill, some bad ones, and most importantly some missed opportunities like not expanding coverage. However, if it all goes bad, the North Carolina General Assembly will still be on the hook. They will never be arms-length from Medicaid. It, along with education, tax code and corrections, is the fundamental essence of state government.”• Bio:Donald H. Taylor Jr., professor in Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy, conducts research on aging and comparative health systems, including Medicare, long-term care and health policy. https://sanford.duke.edu/people/faculty/taylor-jr-donald-h • For additional comment, contact Taylor at:don.taylor@duke.edu.• Or go to full story: Don Taylor blogs about state and national health care topics at Free For All: https://donaldhtaylorjr.wordpress.com/
