Raleigh, NC- Rep. Jon Hardister (R-Guilford) announced the endorsement of Rep. John Bell. (R Wayne, Majority Leader) for his campaign for NC Labor Commissioner.
All in Health
Cooper Announces $1M Plan to Address Bus Driver Crisis, Urges Budget Action
Governor Roy Cooper announced an investment to help tackle North Carolina's school bus driver shortage crisis by allocating $1 million in federal funding to the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to enhance school bus driver training capacity.
Governor Cooper Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Severe Weather
Governor Roy Cooper declared a State of Emergency to activate the state’s emergency operations plan, waive transportation rules to help the transport of fuel and critical supplies and services, help first responders and assist the agriculture industry to prepare in advance for inclement weather and protect consumers from price gouging.
North Carolinians Can Now See How Local Governments Plan to Spend Opioid Settlement Funds
(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein announced that North Carolinians can view how their local governments plan to spend the approximately $1.2 billion coming to counties and municipalities to combat the opioid overdose crisis.
Ensuring a Brighter Future One Meal, One Student at A Time
Others cannot help but raise an eyebrow when I tell them that, not only did I thoroughly enjoy teaching 7th grade, but my favorite class to teach - 4th period - included a 25-minute lunch break in the middle of the class period. Although the unpadded circular seats took some time getting used to, I cherished the opportunity to build bonds with my students each day. It was during lunchtime, however, that I noticed the impact that a missed meal has on a student.
Attorney General Josh Stein announces sentencing in $4 million health care fraud
(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein announced that James Craig Bell, the owner of Townsend’s Pharmacy in Robeson County, was sentenced to two years in prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. His fraudulent practices cost Medicare and the North Carolina Medicaid program more than $4 million over a decade.
Attorney General Stein Pushes for Legislation To Protect Veterans’ Benefits
Attorney General Josh Stein today urged Congress to protect military veterans by passing the Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding (G.U.A.R.D.) Veterans Affairs (VA) Benefits Act. The bipartisan legislation will hold accountable unaccredited and unregulated bad actors who prey upon veterans applying for federal VA benefits.
OP-ED: UNC Health antitrust exemptions in the budget would hurt consumers
Right now, the proposed state budget includes changes that would be a huge step backward for healthcare in North Carolina. As our options for healthcare grow, patients deserve the protections currently in place to ensure that growth is fair.
John Hood: Presidential Primaries Need a Shake-Up
I know you may find this news depressing, but we’re only five months away from the first votes in the 2024 presidential election. Our current primary system is absurd. The contests start way too early. And their location is unfair to large swaths of American voters.
Attorney General Josh Stein Announces $1.9 Million Medicaid Settlement with Cary Lab
Attorney General Josh Stein today announced that Aspirar Medical Lab LLC in Cary and its owner Pick Chay have agreed to pay $1,951,090 to resolve allegations that they violated the law by billing the North Carolina Medicaid program for unnecessary urine drug tests and paying illegal kickbacks for these tests.
Treasurer Folwell Announces 2024 State Health Plan Premium Rates with No Increase
State Treasurer Dale R. Folwell, CPA, and the State Health Plan (Plan) Board of Trustees today approved, for the sixth straight year, no premium rate increases for State Health Plan active members for the 2024 benefit year, which begins January 1, 2024.
John Hood: Our COVID outcomes were average
Because Gov. Roy Cooper’s former secretary of health and human services, Mandy Cohen, just got the nod from President Joe Biden to be the next director of the Centers for Disease Control, politicians and analysts are again debating how North Carolinians fared during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Smokers Looking for Better Alternatives Shouldn’t Have to Burn Cash
Families across the country are feeling the effects of inflation, an increased cost on common goods, in part a byproduct of gridlock and bad policy in Washington, D.C. Thankfully, North Carolinians are fortunate to have state leaders who have enacted pro-growth, pro-business-and most importantly, pro-taxpayer policies over the last decade.
SHIIP Helps Save N.C. Medicare Beneficiaries Millions
North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey today announced that the Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) saved the state’s seniors $30 million last year.
Treasurer Folwell welcomes support from twenty-one states in sex transition lawsuit
State Treasurer Dale R. Folwell, CPA, welcomed a court filing from 21 states in support of the authority of North Carolina officials to determine which benefits will be covered by the State Health Plan.
Folwell urges Immediate Pause on Blue Cross Bill
As the largest customer of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, I am asking that the sponsors of House Bill 346 request the bill be removed from the Senate calendar until the amendments offered by elected State Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey to protect consumers be considered.
Letter to the Editor: Something’s not right about denying 2.9 million claims
I had the opportunity to listen to Dr. David McLennan and Wendell Potter from the North Carolina Center for Health & Democracy recently during a panel discussion “How Do We Fix Healthcare in North Carolina” they hosted last week.
Humphrey & Sasser: Restoring main street America begins with empowering locally owned pharmacies
Many of us fondly remember the days when Main Street was bustling with a vibrant, localized economy. Small businesses flourished, creating jobs and driving growth that directly supported our communities.
John Hood: Workfare still superior to welfare
In Washington, Republican lawmakers are insisting that any deal with the Biden administration to raise the federal debt ceiling be accompanied by stricter work requirements for such programs as cash welfare, nutrition assistance, and Medicaid. In Raleigh, Republican state senators tried to make work requirements a condition for expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, though the final deal fell short of what they’d hoped.
Attorney General Josh Stein Statement on 12-week Abortion Ban
Attorney General Josh Stein today released the following statement after the North Carolina General Assembly voted to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of SB20.