Statement from State Treasurer Dale R. Folwell, CPA, Regarding Atrium Health’s Decision to Cancel House Liens for Medical Debt as Part of Payout from the Department of Health and Human Services
All in Health
Commissioner Causey advises consumers to protect themselves post-Debby
Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey is urging North Carolinians to protect themselves and their property in the wake of the effects of Tropical Storm Debby. Heavy rains have produced downed trees, power outages, severe flooding and have even spawned tornadoes across the state this week.
Governor Cooper and NCDHHS Highlight Importance of Medical Debt Relief for NC
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and NC Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley today gave an update at Care Ring in Charlotte on their plan to incentivize hospitals to relieve medical debt for millions of low- and middle-income North Carolinians.
Attorney General Josh Stein Announces $86 Million Multistate Opioid Settlement in Principle with Indivior
(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein announced an $86 million multistate settlement in principle with opioid manufacturer Indivior for its role in fueling the opioid crisis. North Carolina state and local governments are anticipated to receive approximately $2.5 million from this settlement in principle. In total, Attorney General Stein has secured nearly $1.5 billion in opioid settlement funds for North Carolina.
Hospitals incentivized to relieve medical debt for millions
After expanding Medicaid last year, Governor Roy Cooper is now working to incentivize hospitals to eliminate billions of dollars in medical debt for North Carolinians. On Tuesday, Governor Cooper hosted a roundtable in Winston-Salem to discuss how relieving medical debt could benefit millions of North Carolinians.
North Carolina Celebrates More Than 500,000 Enrolled in Medicaid Expansion
ore than half a million North Carolinians have now enrolled in Medicaid expansion since the program began seven months ago. Beneficiaries are now able get the quality health care they need at low cost.
Governor Cooper Takes Action to Lessen the Burden of Medical Debt for North Carolinians
RALEIGH: North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and the NC Department of Health and Human Services announced new actions leveraging the state’s Medicaid program that will encourage hospitals to relieve a potential $4 billion in existing medical debt for approximately two million low and middle-income North Carolinians and ease the burden of medical debt in the future.
Folwell responds to the Governor’s Proposal to Lessen the Burden of Medical Debt
Statement from Treasurer Folwell:
State prisons prepared for extreme temperatures; Crews making progress installing air-conditioning
As temperatures climb into the high 90s this summer, the N.C. Department of Adult Correction has taken measures to ensure the safety of people incarcerated in state prisons and the staff that supervise them.
Update from Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D.
Washington, D.C. — Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. issued the following statement: "As a physician I have, for the last 30 years, taken care of thousands and thousands of patients. It is now my turn to be one.”
State Treasurer Exposes Hospitals' Overcharges in Cancer Drug Pricing
North Carolina State Treasurer Dale R. Folwell, CPA, released a report today finding that 340B hospitals billed state employees an average price markup of 5.4 times their discounted acquisition costs for oncology drugs. Hospitals generated average spread profits as high as $13,617 per claim on cancer drugs paid for by the North Carolina State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees.
Senator Todd Johnson: Medicare needs modernized
Senator Sanders has turned his ire toward medicines for weight loss and diabetes, notably Wegovy and Ozempic. Given his instinctive belief that big government always knows best, it is all but certain that he will eventually call for government interference in drug pricing for all the remarkable new weight loss treatment that could revolutionize health in America
Causey urges motorists to put their phones down behind the wheel
North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey is calling on motorists to focus solely on the road and do all they can to help prevent accidents during Distracted Driving Awareness Month, which runs throughout April across the United States.
The Case Against School Vouchers on Steroids
Following his declaration of 2024 as the Year of Public Schools, Governor Roy Cooper is illustrating the risks the extreme Republican voucher plan poses to children and public schools, where more than 8 in 10 North Carolina children attend school . Today, the Governor released a new video walking through the problems with this voucher plan on steroids, along with a new fact sheet and web page.
Op-Ed: Employers Are Letting Their Employees Down and Hurting the Health System When They Don’t Support Weight Loss
Helping to change to trajectory of obesity and chronic disease is good for employers’ and for employees’ health and saves the health system money. Moreover, people with obesity are more likely to experience other health conditions, like depression, cancer and heart disease, that cause people to miss work.
One Year After Signing Medicaid Expansion Law, Governor Cooper Celebrates the Progress as Other States Look to North Carolina’s Playbook
Today marks the one year anniversary of Governor Roy Cooper signing Medicaid expansion into law, making North Carolina the 40th state to join this critical program. Just under 4 months since expansion went into effect, nearly 400,000 North Carolinians have gained access to affordable, quality health care. As North Carolina shows tremendous success with the program, holdout states are looking to Governor Cooper’s leadership as a model for how they too can expand Medicaid.
Attorney General Josh Stein Urges Cigna and Unified Women’s Healthcare to Maintain Coverage for Patients
(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein today urged Cigna and Unified Women’s Healthcare (UWH) to reach an agreement so women do not lose access to affordable OB/GYN care.
N.C. Department of Labor Chooses Not to Adopt Infectious Disease Petitions
After thoughtful consideration of the petitions received on December 14, 2022, I, Josh Dobson, Commissioner of Labor, have made the decision not to adopt either of the proposed rules, to include the General Industry/Construction Infectious Diseases and the Airborne Infectious Diseases for Migrant Housing and Agricultural employers.
US EPA to Announce Clean Ports Program, $3 Billion in Federal Funding for Ports Across US
Gov. Cooper joined United States Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan in Wilmington to announce the EPA’s Clean Ports Program, which includes $3 billion of federal money to fund zero-emission port equipment and infrastructure, along with climate and air quality planning, at U.S. ports.
Attorney General Josh Stein Leads Bipartisan Coalition Pushing for Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reforms
Attorney General Josh Stein led a bipartisan coalition of 39 attorneys general calling on Congress to help lower drug costs for Americans by reforming how pharmacy benefit managers operate.