North Carolina

North Carolina Medicaid expansion consensus moves forward

Published

2 years ago

March 7, 2023

North Carolina Medicaid expansion consensus moves forward

RALEIGH, N.C. — RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The small print of a consensus North Carolina Medicaid enlargement deal reached final week by high Republican lawmakers cleared a Senate committee Tuesday.

The launched laws explains how the state would cowl doubtlessly 600,000 low-income adults who in any other case earn an excessive amount of to qualify for standard Medicaid. It directs the state to enter a federal program by which hospitals would obtain extra Medicaid reimbursement funds. This cash will assist hospitals cowl the state’s share of enlargement well being bills, or 10% of prices.

The invoice additionally particulars the place “certificates of want” legal guidelines that require well being regulators to log out on plans for medical entities to construct areas or buy tools could be loosened or eradicated altogether. Senate Republicans insisted on these adjustments as a approach to increase service provides for the extra Medicaid enrollees.

Debate over whether or not North Carolina would settle for Medicaid enlargement supplied by means of the Inexpensive Care Act lingered for the previous decade, with most Republicans skeptical in regards to the thought for many of that interval. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has been a powerful advocate for it. The tide modified towards enlargement final 12 months when the GOP-controlled Home and Senate individually handed competing laws.

The settlement, reached after about 4 weeks of negotiations, was introduced final Thursday by Home Speaker Tim Moore and Senate chief Phil Berger. The Senate Well being Care Committee authorised the laws Tuesday after about quarter-hour of debate.

“This actually is a monumental day,” mentioned Rep. Donny Lambeth, a Forsyth County Republican and one of many key negotiators. “It has been a bipartisan effort. We’ve fought over it, we’ve mentioned it, we’ve stubborn it. However it’s the proper factor to do right this moment.”

North Carolina has been considered one of 11 states that has not adopted Medicaid enlargement. Legislative leaders imagine enlargement enrollees might start receiving companies subsequent January.

“600 thousand North Carolinians who’re principally working will now be capable of lead extra wholesome and economically safe lives,” Peg O’Connell with Care4Carolina, a coalition of teams that has labored for enlargement for a number of years, instructed legislators. Extra federal reimbursement funds additionally ought to help rural hospitals which are in any other case struggling financially.

Sen. Ralph Hise, a Mitchell County Republican and one other negotiator, mentioned he anticipated the invoice on the Senate flooring early subsequent week after two different committees overview it. The Home then must formally vote for the package deal earlier than it might go to Cooper’s desk.

Even when Cooper indicators the measure rapidly, the invoice’s language states that the portion that gives Medicaid protection by means of enlargement would not take impact till a separate state funds invoice is enacted into regulation. That doubtless will not occur till early in the summertime. Moore and Berger mentioned final week that it is smart to match funds provisions with enlargement, which can result in billions of {dollars} in extra spending. It additionally would discourage Cooper from vetoing the funds invoice for worry of blocking enlargement.

At Monday’s State of the State deal with, Cooper urged legislators to enact enlargement instantly to make sure state authorities and the state’s hospitals get federal funds as quickly as potential.

The state is already poised to obtain an additional $1.8 billion over two years by means of a monetary sweetener in a COVID-19 federal aid package deal from Congress for states that hadn’t accepted enlargement.

North Carolina at present has 2.9 million Medicaid recipients. The state Division of Well being and Human Providers has mentioned as much as 300,000 present beneficiaries might lose full protection as states quickly should conduct annual eligibility verifications once more following the COVID-19 pandemic. Hise instructed reporters Tuesday he guessed that about 100,000 of the 300,000 would be capable of qualify once more for Medicaid by means of enlargement.

The “certificates of want” adjustments would eradicate state overview of plans to construct or develop psychiatric and substance abuse therapy amenities and to exchange medical tools of as much as $3 million. Within the years forward, ambulatory surgical facilities and MRI machines additionally would not be topic to overview in sure circumstances.

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North Carolina

Key Ole Miss Transfer Target Thaddeus Dixon Chooses North Carolina Over Rebels

Published

39 minutes ago

January 19, 2025

Press Room

Key Ole Miss Transfer Target Thaddeus Dixon Chooses North Carolina Over Rebels

The Ole Miss Rebels have made strong moves in the transfer portal this offseason, but the program missed out on a key contributor on Saturday when cornerback Thaddeus Dixon pledged to the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Ole Miss was in the race late for Dixon, but a deciding factor in his decision to join the Tar Heels may have boiled down to Carolina’s hiring of former Washington assistant Armond Hawkins as defensive backs coach. Dixon is a transfer from the Washington Huskies, so familiarity in his new home likely played a role.

BREAKING: Washinton transfer CB Thaddeus Dixon has committed to North Carolina, @Hayesfawcett3 reports🐏https://t.co/pcXs7hjbOS pic.twitter.com/6g5D02NC7V
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) January 18, 2025

READ MORE: Will Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons Continue Playing Baseball in 2025?

So, where do the Rebels go from here? Ole Miss has already gained some key pieces in its secondary out of the transfer portal (including CB Jaylon Braxton of Arkansas), but Lane Kiffin’s team will probably still be seeking some help in the defensive backfield as the transfer portal continues to move.

According to On3’s current transfer portal class rankings, Ole Miss has the third-best haul in the country, behind Texas Tech and Missouri. The Rebels have seen 23 players transfer into the program so far this offseason, and that number could continue to grow between now and kickoff of the 2025 season.

Ole Miss opens its 2025 campaign on Aug. 30 at home against Georgia State.

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North Carolina

Thaddeus Dixon Joins in Husky Exodus to North Carolina

Published

8 hours ago

January 18, 2025

Press Room

Thaddeus Dixon Joins in Husky Exodus to North Carolina

In a postseason recruitment that was raw and revealing at times, where decorated cornerback Thaddeus Dixon suggested in social media postings that University of Washington football fans wanted him to come back more than the coaches, apparently received all the assurances he needed at North Carolina.

On Saturday, the senior defensive back from Long Beach, California, told On3 he would join the Tar Heels for his final season of college football, adding to a growing list of one-time UW players and coaches headed to Chapel Hill.

So far, the departing group includes linebacker Khmori House, safety Peyton Waters, wide receiver Jason Robinson Jr., defensive coordinator Steve Belichick and defensive analyst Armond Hawkins, all moving from Montlake to the ACC.

The 6-foot-1, 187-pound Dixon would have given the Huskies three highly accredited corners, joining fellow UW starter Ephesians Prysock and Arizona transfer Tacario Davis, to fill out a secondary that could have had few equals this coming season, and still might.

BREAKING: Washington star transfer CB Thaddeus Dixon has Committed to North Carolina, he tells @on3sports
The 6’1 195 CB totaled 69 Tackles, 16 PD, 1 FF, & 2 INT in 2 seasons with the Huskies
Ranked as a Top 10 Player in the Portal (No. 2 CB) per On3https://t.co/RlUbB6EMhS pic.twitter.com/bePHJU7wP7
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 18, 2025

Dixon reportedly took recruiting visits to Mississippi and North Carolina, and fielded overtures from Michigan, before settling on the Tar Heels.

The disconnect for Dixon appeared to show up when the Huskies landed a portal commitment from the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Davis, a second-team All-Big 12 pick this past season, presumably to take his vacated spot.

The 6-foot-4, 193-pound Prysock and Davis teamed together at Arizona in 2023, with both earning All-Pac-12 honorable-mention accolades.

Dixon originally was supposed to run out of college eligibility when the season ended, hence the Huskies went looking for cornerback help, but the NCAA gave the veteran an extra year when it changed the rules governing players with junior-college backgrounds. He came to the UW from Long Beach Community College.

One of the Huskies’ top individual success stories this past season, Dixon went from a back-up player in 2023 to unseat returning starter Elijah Jackson, who opened all 15 games for the national runner-up team.

Thaddeus Dixon soaks up the moment after an Apple Cup interception. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Moving into the lineup, Dixon started 12 of 13 games and received All-Big Ten honorable-mention honors for Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff. He had a team-best 10 pass break-ups, an Apple Cup interception and several textbook tackles in the open field. He’s easily made himself into an NFL prospect.

With three accomplished cornerbacks, the Huskies could have picked two starters and put the odd man out at nickelback.

Dixon clearly wasn’t going to go that route at the UW, likely figuring his past performance should have provided him with more cornerback guarantees.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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North Carolina

Bill Belichick's girlfriend seemingly shuts down rumors coach will leave North Carolina for NFL

Published

16 hours ago

January 18, 2025

Press Room

Bill Belichick's girlfriend seemingly shuts down rumors coach will leave North Carolina for NFL

Bill Belichick’s girlfriend on Thursday seemingly shut down any talk of her boyfriend leaving the North Carolina Tar Heels football program for a job in the NFL.

Jordon Hudson responded to rumors that suggested Belichick had one foot out the door when it came to his Tar Heels gig. Belichick had been rumored to be interest in coaching the Dallas Cowboys, but the head coaching job wasn’t open until he had already committed to North Carolina. CBS Sports reported that Belichick didn’t sign his contract with the school.

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Oct. 26, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey: Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and girlfriend Jordon Hudson enter the field before the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Navy Midshipmen at MetLife Stadium. (Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)

She posted a photo on her Instagram showing the two posing with a football and Belichick dressed in Carolina blue.

“Pictured: two people who are overtly committed to @uncfootball,” she wrote as the caption.

Michael Lombardi, who is the general manager of the North Carolina football program, also threw cold water on the rumors of Belichick jumping back to the pros.

EX-NFL COACH JON GRUDEN RIPS STATE OF COLLEGE SPORTS

Dec. 12, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC: Jordon Hudson, the girlfriend of Bill Belichick, in attendance at Loudermilk Center for Excellence. (Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images)

“Bill is recruiting in DC today, and Baltimore tomorrow. His focus is on North Carolina football, hiring staff members and developing the team. The NFL isnt a option so please stop making it one. Thank you,” he wrote on X in response to the CBS Sports report.

“The reception towards UNC and Coach Belichick has been amazing from every school we visit. We are going to fight to keep North Carolina players here and bring the best to Chapel Hill,” he added.

Belichick was hired as the Tar Heels’ coach in December. He called the job a “dream come true.”

Bill Belichick fields questions from media

The North Carolina Tar Heels’ new head coach Bill Belichick speaks to the media at Loudermilk Center for Excellence. (Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images)

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“I’ve always wanted to coach in college football,” Belichick said in his introductory press conference. “It just never really worked out. Had some good years in the NFL, so that was OK. But this is really a dream come true.”

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