2023-2024 Health & Human Services Legislative Goals
Support expansion of Medicaid as well as related funding and operational flexibility for counties to expand county workforce and necessary infrastructure.
Seek additional funding and preserve block grant allocations to increase access to high quality childcare, earlychildhood education, child welfare services, adult protective services and guardianship, including:
- Women’s and Children’s Health Services Block Grant funding to local health departments for critical services like maternal health, child health and women’s health services to address unfavorable infant mortality rates;
- Home & Community Care Block Grant; Senior Center General Purpose Funds; Social Services and Human Services Block Grants; TANF; and emergency childcare funding to ensure the safety and stability of our childcare system.
Seek legislation that restores State Funding of Accreditation of Local Health Departments.
Support expansion of Medicaid as well as related funding and operational flexibility for counties to expand county workforce and necessary infrastructure.
Support Medicaid reimbursement for Community Paramedic services and transport services to mental health and substance abuse facilities.
Support legislation to increase the number of state funded county Veteran Services Officers to at least one per county.
Support legislation for hold harmless provisions and staggered payment plans to control/cap the liability to counties under the Medicaid and NCHC overpayment recoupment plan, which holds counties financially responsible for the erroneous issuance of Medicaid benefits and Medicaid claim payments resulting when the county DSS takes any
action that requires payment of Medicaid claims for an ineligible individual.
Support legislation to expand the Good Samaritan protection of covered offenses in NCGS §90-96.2(c3) to include all opioid and drug offenses to encourage reporting of drug overdoses and reduce overdose deaths and work to create required treatment options for overdose victims covered by limited immunity.
Support legislation that promotes opioid and other substance use prevention, intervention, harm reduction, treatment
and recovery initiatives.
Committee Schedule
View the steering committee meeting schedule
NCACC Health & Human Services Committee Guiding Principles
Health and human services programs should encourage equitable opportunity for health, social, and economic prosperity. Programs should provide intergenerational success and address long term social impacts on health to help individuals thrive.
County regional and state collaboration are necessary to improve agency automation and simplify programs to streamline administration and improve client interaction.
Block grant funds should not be earmarked, and the state should increase funding for mandated services as the cost to provide and demand for those services increases.
As partners with the state in funding and delivering services, counties must be actively engaged in setting health and human services policy and program requirements.
Health and human services programs should be adequately funded and targeted toward the most vulnerable county residents.
The state should take the lead in financing, implementing, and maintaining statewide information systems, and should ensure compatibility with county systems.
Members of county human service agency boards and advisory committees should be appointed by the boards of county commissioners.
The state should provide adequate funding and policy initiatives to support local health departments and public health services.
Discussions on County Health & Human Services Initiatives
Transylvania County Commissioner Page Lemel and Jaime Laughter, County Manager, and Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, Senior Vice President, Social Impact, Sesame Workshop discuss how they are using the collective impact model and partnership with Sesame Street in Communities to cultivate resilient kids.
Commissioner Jeff Phillips discusses Guilford County’s innovative partnership on integrated care for behavioral and mental health Jeff Phillips – 2019 NCACC Annual Conference Story Booth
2019 NCACC Annual Conference Story Booth interview with Kay Cashion, Guilford County Commissioner, who helped develop the Guilford County Family Justice Center, a full service resource for domestic violence survivors
CountyQuarterly Resources
Transylvania County’s Partnership Approach to Early Childhood Outcomes: A rural model and gateway to Sesame Street in Communities
by Lacy Pate, NCACC Public Relations Manager
CountyQuarterly, Fall 2019.
A Primer on Medicaid Transformation
by Hugh Johnson, NCACC Government Relations Coordinator
CountyQuarterly, Winter 2019
The Family Justice Center: Restoring Hope with Care for Survivors, and Support for Caregivers
by Sara Mogilski, NCACC Chief Operations Officer
County Quarterly, Summer 2019.
Steering Committee Membership
Steering Committee membership is open to all county commissioners, as well as county staff who specialize in committee-related fields. If you would like to join a Steering Committee, please complete this sign-up form and join us for a meeting.