OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

Date: Jan. 1, 2012
Issues: Health and Health Care

MAKING HEALTH CARE AVAILABLE, ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE

Over the last year, our nation has wrestled with the issues related to rising health care costs and the costs of the uninsured. The debate and the issue affect us here in North Carolina: the North Carolina Institute of Medicine estimates that in 2009 there were 1.75 million uninsured North Carolinians under age 65.

Months of debate and effort resulted in federal health care reform legislation (the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act and the Health Care and Education Affordability Act, both enacted in March 2010) which extend health care coverage to the uninsured. In 2010, the General Assembly passed the Appropriations Act of 2010, which included several provisions to begin implementing health care reform and make health care coverage available and affordable.

These sweeping changes are tremendous and will be implemented over time, but there are a few small changes here in North Carolina that merit individual attention:

We required the State Health Plan and health insurers regulated by the Commissioner of Insurance to cover hearing aid equipment for individuals up to age 22. This legislation was aimed primarily at children who suffer a hearing deficiency and would not otherwise develop necessary speech skills without the assistance of a hearing aid device.

We required the State Health Plan and health insurers regulated by the Commissioner of Insurance to cover the diagnosis and treatment of Lymphedema, a swelling condition that can adversely affect individuals including women who have had surgery to treat breast cancer.

We passed legislation to allow teachers and state employees to cover children as dependents for which the employee is designated as a court-ordered guardian.
Health care is a basic need and I will continue to fight for legislation and policies that protect patients and consumers, that make health care more affordable to private individuals, and that make health care more affordable for the public.


Source
arrow_upward