Grassroots effort key to relief plan

It is an encouraging sign that legislators are now bringing to the Association proposals for Medicaid relief.

The House Select Committee on Health Care voted unanimously April 11 to adopt a proposal advanced by its Medicaid Subcommittee that would provide $65 million of relief for counties in 2006-07 and permanently cap the county Medicaid share at 2005-06 levels. This was an idea that was originally brought to the Association by Reps. Edd Nye (Bladen) and Beverly Earle (Mecklenburg).

The House committee’s action comes on the heels of a proposal made during the winter by Sen. Tony Rand (Cumberland), who brought to our Board of Directors a plan that would swap county sales tax revenue in exchange for a complete takeover by the state of the county Medicaid share.

These actions indicate that members of the General Assembly, including leaders in both chambers, have not only heard our pleas for help, but are actively seeking solutions. Yes, the tide may be turning in our long battle for Medicaid relief, but it’s up to us to keep it rolling.

The Board of Directors adopted a strategic plan last fall that included stepping up our grassroots advocacy efforts. There are now more than 800 registered lobbyists patrolling the halls of the General Assembly. It is easy for legislators to forget about local issues when they are constantly bombarded by representatives of special interest groups advancing one cause after another during sessions in Raleigh.

More on Medicaid relief

Thankfully, our Association has a built-in advantage that most organizations that employ lobbyists do not have – and that advantage is us. There are 570 county commissioners across this state, and it is up to each of us to reach out to our legislators and make sure they understand the importance of Medicaid relief. When legislators are in Raleigh, call them or send them an e-mail. But when they’re home, make sure you schedule regular face-to-face visits with them. An advantage is only good if you use it, and we need to make sure we keep in regular contact with our legislators.

The Association’s staff did a wonderful job preparing a “Medicaid Meeting in a Box,” which contains materials geared specifically to allow each county to tell its Medicaid story to their legislators. The boxes were distributed during the district meetings in April.

I urge every county to schedule meetings with your legislators to specifically discuss Medicaid relief. Even if you have already met with your delegation, it won’t hurt to meet with them again and again to drive our point home.

There is a tremendous amount of momentum around our Medicaid relief efforts right now, and there appears to be some funds available to at least provide us some short-term relief. But there are also many other challenges facing the state budget – mental health reform, increasing enrollments in our public schools, pay raises for state employees, etc. – that may demand state dollars.

With the “Medicaid Meeting in a Box,” our Association’s staff has done the hard work for us. Now it’s up to us to carry this message to our legislators. They need to know how we think any surplus dollars should be spent.