YOU DON’T SAY

“Unlike most other debts, medical debt is not intentional because people don’t choose to get seriously ill or have an accident.”

Gov. Roy Cooper, on a proposal to leverage Medicaid funds to help North Carolinians struggling with medical debt. (The News & Observer, 7/29/24)

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Medical Debt

Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi, The News & Observer, 7/29/24

A plan unveiled at the beginning of this month by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to leverage Medicaid funds to help North Carolinians struggling with medical debt has been approved by the federal government.

On Friday, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved a plan that has the potential to relieve $4 billion in existing hospital medical debt for people in the state, according to a news release. In order for the plan to take effect, hospitals would need to sign on. They would then receive higher reimbursements for treatment of Medicaid patients.

“Unlike most other debts, medical debt is not intentional because people don’t choose to get seriously ill or have an accident,” Cooper said, according to the news release. “Medical debts are often beyond people’s ability to pay, ruining their credit, keeping them from getting credit cards, loans and jobs and sometimes driving them into bankruptcy. That’s why we’re working with hospitals and federal partners to help relieve the burden of medical debt for North Carolina families,” he said.

Vice President Kamala Harris — who appears set to become the Democratic presidential nominee for the November election, and has been considering Cooper as a possible running mate — has been “coordinating” with state officials on the medical debt plan, The Washington Post reported.

“No one should be denied access to economic opportunity simply because they experienced a medical emergency,” Harris said in a statement sent as part of a news release Monday. “Yet today, more than 100 million Americans struggle with medical debt — making it more difficult for them to be approved for a car loan, a home loan, or a small-business loan, which makes it more difficult for them to just get by, much less get ahead.”

“I applaud North Carolina for setting an example that other states can follow by advancing a plan that has the potential to relieve $4 billion in medical debt for two million individuals and families. This critical step also strengthens financial assistance for emergency medical procedures moving forward,” Harris said.

Harris wrote that over $650 million in medical debt had been forgiven through the American Rescue Plan, which was passed under the Biden administration.

The North Carolina Healthcare Association, which represents hospitals in the state, said in an email from spokesperson Stephanie Strickland that “hospitals are committed to the care and well-being of all North Carolinians. That is why they focus every day on providing safe, high-quality care to all, regardless of their ability to pay. But we believe that the best solutions to address medical debt reform must include employers, payors and providers.”

“As hospitals and health systems individually weigh their ability to participate in Governor Cooper’s medical debt initiative, for the full HASP payment, NCHA remains committed to working alongside our partners to advocate for sustainable solutions that engage all, help support the state’s healthcare safety net, and do no harm,” Strickland wrote.

HASP stands for the Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program, which passed within the state’s Medicaid expansion bill to help provide more funding to hospitals. The medical debt plan increases HASP payments for participating hospitals.

The News & Observer contacted several hospitals. UNC Health “continues to have discussions with state and federal officials,” UNC Health spokesperson Alan Wolf said in an email. “We support efforts to reduce medical debt and we expect to receive more details on the approved plan soon,” he said.

According to Cooper’s news release, hospitals that opt in to the plan must implement the following to be eligible for enhanced payments offered under the plan:

• For those on Medicaid, relieve all unpaid medical debt dating back to Jan. 1, 2014.
• Relieve all unpaid medical debt that has become virtually impossible to collect dating back to Jan. 1, 2014, for people not enrolled in Medicaid whose income is at or below at least 350% of the federal poverty level (FPL) or whose total debt exceeds 5% of their annual income. A family of two at 350% of the FPL makes about $71,000 a year.
• Provide discounts on medical bills for people at or below 300% FPL.
• Automatically enroll people into financial assistance, known as charity care.
• Not sell medical debt of people making below 300% FPL to debt collectors.
• Not report debt covered by policies laid out in the plan to a credit reporting agency.

Patients of participating hospitals will not need to take any actions to benefit from medical debt relief, according to the news release.

When the state expanded Medicaid in December, it implemented the HASP mechanism, allowing hospitals to receive higher federal reimbursements in return for paying the state’s share of costs under the expansion bill.

The federal government covers 90% of Medicaid coverage costs for the expansion population, while the state covers 10%. The medical debt relief plan further leverages federal funds by providing higher HASP payments to hospitals that choose to implement the plan. Hospitals often only collect a small fraction of the medical debt they are owed, Cooper said during a press conference announcing the plan on July 1.

However, large debts that remain on the books can prevent people from buying a home or getting a credit card and sometimes can lead people into homelessness and bankruptcy, he said. North Carolina has one of the highest percentages — 13.4% — of adults with medical debt, according to KFF, a health policy organization. About 20 million people — or nearly 1 in 12 adults — owe a combined total of at least $220 billion in medical debt in the United States, KFF says. [Source]

 

Cooper Out

Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan and Danielle Battaglia, The News & Observer, 7/29/24

The day President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and Vice President Kamala Harris moved up to the top of the Democratic presidential ticket, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper joined the veepstakes. But he privately declined from the start to be considered, according to a source close to the governor. And on Monday evening, he publicly took himself out of the running, saying it “just wasn’t the right time.”

“I strongly support Vice President Harris’ campaign for President. I know she’s going to win and I was honored to be considered for this role. This just wasn’t the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket,” Cooper posted on social media. “As I’ve said from the beginning, she has an outstanding list of people from which to choose, and we’ll all work to make sure she wins,” he said.

Earlier Monday evening, The New York Times first reported that Cooper has withdrawn from the race, prompting the public statement.

Cooper and Harris served as state attorneys general at the same time, and Cooper had a record of winning elections and on his way out of office at the end of the year running a swing state.

Harris’ campaign declined to comment to McClatchy.

Cooper has declined to comment about being featured on lists of possible running mates. On Monday night, he spoke on a “White Dudes for Harris” Zoom call with tens of thousands of other white men watching, but did not address the reports about the vice presidential job.

One concern of some Democrats had been that when Cooper is out of state, the acting governor is Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who is running for governor. But North Carolina’s governor has much less power than other states, as law and the constitution delivers most of the power to the General Assembly.

The source close to Cooper said he didn’t think now was the right time to run for vice president, but that he also believed Robinson would bring an element of chaos to Harris’ campaign that she didn’t need. The source said they could imagine Cooper on a campaign bus in Michigan trying to talk with voters, only to hear that Robinson did something back home that required Cooper’s immediate attention. But with Cooper’s name circulating, he felt that publicly bowing out could slow momentum for Harris, the source said.

Cooper didn’t want his lack of interest to be misconstrued as looking like he wasn’t on Harris’ team. So he stayed quiet.

The legislature is entirely controlled by Republicans, with a veto-proof supermajority, so lawmakers can pass any law they want without needing a Republican governor to sign off on it.

However the governor, or acting governor, can issue executive orders and make declarations, as Robinson did in 2023 when Cooper was in Japan. Robinson declared a week of solidarity with Israel in October, in the wake of Hamas’ terrorist attack there.

Cooper’s term isn’t up until Dec. 31, and the new governor is sworn in in January.

Robinson’s opponent is Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein, a longtime friend and colleague of Cooper, who has also been Stein’s mentor. Cooper has said he wants to continue working in public service after his term.

That could mean a Cabinet spot or other appointed job in the Harris administration if she wins in November. Biden already alluded to that in a Raleigh visit this past spring.

Cooper may also decide to run for U.S. Senate in 2026. He could also run again for governor in the future, as the term limit applies only to consecutive terms. [Source]

Robinson Investigation

Brian Murphy, Laura Leslie and Will Doran, WRAL News, 7/29/24

Mark Robinson’s gubernatorial campaign disputed findings made by a North Carolina agency that a nonprofit run by his wife must repay the state more than $130,000, calling the findings “politically motivated.”

Monday’s statement was the campaign’s first since the state Department of Health and Human Services began releasing findings in the case last week. Meanwhile, the state said Monday that it is in contact with the federal government regarding the nonprofit, called Balanced Nutrition.

Robinson, the state’s lieutenant governor, is the Republican nominee for governor. His wife, Yolanda Hill, shut the government-funded nonprofit this year amid the state’s investigation into questions about its finances and other alleged violations.

The Department of Health and Human Services found last week that Balanced Nutrition, which helped child care facilities get federal funding for nutrition programs, submitted excess claims for funding, which it now must pay back. The allegations include findings such as submitting multiple claims for the same receipt, or inflating costs it could then be reimbursed for.

“These findings are politically motivated at the core,” Robinson campaign spokesman Mike Lonergan said in a statement on Monday. “Last year, an independent auditor issued a report on Balanced Nutrition, Inc. (BNI) with no material findings. Yet as soon as Mark Robinson announced his campaign for governor in April 2023, the Democrat-run state agency started moving the goalposts.”

The financial audit, a copy of which was provided by the Robinson campaign, was conducted by BAS Partners. The audit covers calendar year 2021 and is dated Jan. 2, 2023. BAS “did not identify any deficiencies in internal control that we consider to be material weaknesses. However, material weaknesses may exist that have not been identified,” the audit said.

According to DHHS records, Balanced Nutrition filed claims for the same receipt multiple times, or it filed claims for more money than the receipts showed. In one case, records indicate, the group billed more than $10,000 on behalf of a child care center that hadn’t submitted any claims. DHHS says there’s no record of that money ever being paid to the center.

Last week, DHHS published a report alleging numerous violations made by Balanced Nutrition. That report outlined possible erroneous billing issues and possible record-keeping, bookkeeping and monitoring violations. It also alleges that Hill improperly hired a family member.

Summer Tonizzo, a spokesperson for the DHHS, said the agency on Friday sent a copy of a notice issued to Balanced Nutrition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “It is standard practice to provide an email copy of any notice of serious deficiency to the Southeast regional office of the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service,” Tonizzo said.

Hill’s work managing the Balanced Nutrition has undergone increased scrutiny during Robinson’s run for governor. Some of his Republican opponents in the GOP primary this spring questioned the work Balanced Nutrition had done, and Hill has previously criticized the state’s investigation into her business as being politically motivated due to her husband’s prominence.

In April, Hill told WRAL that “we were being targeted” due to her husband’s position.

“Just as they are doing against President Trump, Democrats are weaponizing the bureaucracy to grind a political ax against their opponents,” Lonergan said in his statement. “Needless to say, BNI is aware of these findings, vehemently disagrees with them, and is looking forward to challenging them on appeal.”

DHHS did not respond immediately to a request for comment Monday.

Hill and her lawyer haven’t responded to WRAL’s requests for comment. Robinson’s office previously declined to comment. Robinson’s chief of staff in the lieutenant governor’s office, Brian LiVecchi, said last week that the DHHS report “is unrelated to any official business of the Lieutenant Governor’s office.” [Source]

 

Building Codes

Peter Castagno, Port City Daily, 7/28/24

A diverse group of public officials is calling to overturn the state’s ban on building code updates ahead of hurricane season. They argue the policy will threaten public safety, cut down federal grant funding, and increase homeowner insurance costs. Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed H.B. 488 — a bill banning proposed energy efficiency updates for residential homes until 2031 — last July. The General Assembly overrode his veto a month later. Now, Cooper says the state is starting to see its negative impact.

“Legislative Republicans moved North Carolina backward by recklessly blocking new building codes that would require new homes to be more resilient and efficient,” Cooper said in a Thursday press release. “As a result, it will become harder to find home insurance and we’re missing out on tens of millions of dollars in federal recovery funds. That’s a lose-lose for our state, particularly when storms hit.”

The governor’s office blamed the bill for disqualifying North Carolina from federal grants, including an Inflation Reduction Act program meant to help states update their building codes.

North Carolina received $102 million in federal funding from FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program in 2023. The state is anticipated to receive around $30 million in 2024; the governor’s office stated the figure will continue to decline because the state can no longer meet FEMA’s residential code requirements.

Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey echoed Cooper’s concerns and emphasized the bill’s impact on homeowner insurance rates. “If it’s not immediate, it will be soon,” he told Port City Daily. “And it will impact the entire state, not just the coastal areas.”

The North Carolina Rate Bureau, which represents the state’s insurance industry, cited storm risk and climate change in its request for an insurance rate hike as high as 99% for coastal areas earlier this year. Causey rejected the proposal and seeks to negotiate it down in court this October.

An April 2024 Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety report described North Carolina’s new limitations on building code updates as “the most concerning negative action” taken among 18 hurricane-prone states assessed since 2021.

Causey argued North Carolina should be taking actions like Alabama — which implemented a building code-mandated fortified roof program — to address the threat of major storms and exorbitant insurance increases. Alternatively, a provision in H.B. 488 bans local governments from requiring roof sheathing inspections unless they are exposed to winds over 140 miles per hour.

“A few years ago we were on the right track,” Causey said. “But, for whatever reason, over the last two or three years, we’ve slipped down in standings for building codes.”

The North Carolina Fire Marshals’ Association and the State Firefighters Association similarly warned that H.B. 488 would hurt North Carolina’s ability to recover from natural disasters and limit federal grants to fire departments. “Anytime you weaken codes instead of strengthening them the fire service gets concerned,” Causey told PCD. “They’ve seen it too many times.”

The Department of Insurance had authority over the fire marshals’ association for 80 years until the General Assembly made it an independent agency last year. Causey said he was “blindsided” by the initiative and didn’t understand lawmakers’ motive. “Nobody’s ever told me why,” he said. “Nobody’s ever discussed it with me.”

Beyond stalling reforms, H.B. 488 also stripped authority from the governor-appointed Building Code Council — which approved new proposed efficiency standards after two years of study. The law allowed for the creation of a separate legal body to determine residential code updates after the moratorium. The General Assembly will appoint six of the Residential Code Council’s 13 members in 2026.

The North Carolina Fire Marshals’ Association “implored everyone” to consider the consequences of a second building code reform bill, S.B. 166, vetoed by Cooper earlier this month. The North Carolina Home Builders Association — the primary lobbyist behind H.B. 488 last year — designated it as the top legislative priority for 2024.

Emails obtained by the Energy and Policy Institute show the North Carolina Home Builders Association wrote the 2023 bill with Rep. Mark Brody, R-Union, and legislative aides. The General Assembly exempted themselves from public records requests later that year.

Brody is a member of the North Carolina Home Builders Association, the owner of Clayton Ryan Homes LLC, and chair of the Local Government Land Use, Planning, and Development Committee. The lawmaker gave $1,000 to NCHBA in 2022 and has received $28,750 in campaign contributions from its PAC throughout his career. “He has served as the sponsor for NCHBA’s Building Code Regulatory Reform bills,” NCHBA wrote in a 2021 blog post. “Thank you Representative Mark Brody for your dedication!”

NCHBA executive vice president Tim Minton told PCD Saturday that NCHBA supported building code updates to promote safety in H.B. 488 but advocated postponing proposed energy efficiency updates to maintain housing affordability. “The energy code updates were going to increase the cost of the average home in North Carolina by over $20,000 while only achieving a maximum of $400 per year in energy savings,” he said.

He attributed the state’s decrease in FEMA grants to a broader decline in national FEMA spending rather than H.B. 488, which he argued did not negatively impact safety, grant opportunities, or insurance rates.

Cooper, Causey, and groups including the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association dispute the argument. NCSEA cited a National Renewable Energy Laboratory study finding inefficient building drives up electricity bills and carbon emissions. The group also noted a 2022 Department of Energy study that found the North Carolina Building Code Council’s proposed update would have added around $5,000 to the cost of a home but save $400 in annual energy bills. [Source]

 

Override Schedule

Matthew Sasser, State Affairs Pro, 7/30/24

The House will convene Wednesday to consider three bills vetoed by Gov. Roy Cooper.

House Bills 155, 556 and 690 will be on the calendar for the meeting. No votes are planned for the Tuesday-morning House meeting.

Meanwhile, the Senate gaveled in just long enough to approve minutes from the last session and announce that no votes are anticipated when the body reconvenes at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

During Monday’s four-minute House meeting, the clerk read the governor’s letter regarding the nomination of former Wilson Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield for a second term on the state Employment Security Board of Review. The clerk also read the resignation letter of Rep. Jason Saine, R-Lincoln, who is leaving the Legislature following 13 years of service to pursue other career opportunities.

Mecklenburg Transit

Steve Harrison, WFAE Radio, 7/29/24

Charlotte is getting closer to asking Republican lawmakers to transfer the city’s bus system, streetcar and light-rail line to a new countywide transit authority, according to a presentation posted on social media by City Council member Tariq Bokhari.

Creating the authority is seen as a critical first step toward the city’s ultimate goal: Having Mecklenburg voters approve a one-cent sales tax increase to pay for transportation. WFAE reported earlier this month on a draft bill that’s been written by members of the business community, Charlotte City Manager Marcus Jones, and the managers of Mecklenburg County and the six towns.

The most recent bill has made at least one significant change to that earlier version.

The new plan calls for 27 authority board members — 12 appointed by the city and 12 by the county. The leaders of the state House and Senate would appoint one member each, as would the governor. That means the state would have a voice in running the city’s bus and train system.

In a change from an earlier draft bill, six of Mecklenburg County’s board members would have to be from the six county towns.

Bokhari met with city officials last week and posted screenshots of the presentation on social media. Bokhari said the city needs to be more transparent about how it’s crafting the bill.

Four years ago, the city envisioned spending almost all of the money in the $13.5 billion plan on transit. The biggest project would have been the Silver Line light rail from Matthews to the airport. Republican House Speaker Tim Moore and Republican Senate leader Phil Berger both objected to the city’s plan, saying it spent too much money on rail transit.

In a bid to win their support, the city has said it would spend 40% of all new sales revenue on roads. It would spend no more than 40% of new revenue on rail transit. The rest could be used for buses or other non-rail transit projects.

Because of the new caps, the city has told the town of Matthews that the Silver Line probably won’t be built from uptown to their town. Charlotte has said it would build bus rapid transit instead.

The city has said it hopes state lawmakers will approve the new authority this fall. The county could vote on the sales tax referendum in November 2025.[Source]

 

Mission Sale

Joel Burgess, Asheville Citizen Times, 7/29/24

A partisan split looks to be forming over a new effort to push the for-profit HCA to sell Mission Health to a nonprofit. All six Democratic incumbents or challengers for Buncombe County congressional or North Carolina General Assembly seats said they supported Reclaim Healthcare WNC. The coalition of doctors, elected officials and other community leaders announced Reclaim’s formation on July 24, saying the goal is to replace HCA because it has badly mismanaged Western North Carolina’s biggest health care provider.

“I support this effort and think it’s one of the ways we can reclaim our hospital and get better care around here again,” said Caleb Rudow, Democratic candidate for WNC’s 11th Congressional District in response to a July 25 Citizen Times query.

Of the five Republicans in races for U.S. House and the N.C. state House and Senate, two responded. Both said health care has deteriorated since HCA’s 2019 purchase of Mission. But 11th District Congressman Chuck Edwards and N.C. House candidate Ruth Smith declined to endorse the idea of compelling a sale. They blamed the problem on Democratic policies and said more competition was needed.

“Hospital consolidation resulting from the Affordable Care Act has unfortunately claimed another victim – our mountain community,” Edwards said in a July 26 statement.

The Citizen Times reached out to Mission/HCA.

Democratic N.C. state Sen. Julie Mayfield, a Reclaim organizer, said she had not reached out yet to Republicans. “Until now, our efforts have been to pull in people who had already been outspoken, and none of my Republican colleagues have,” she said. Mayfield’s GOP opponent for the 49th state Senate District, Kristie Sluder, did not respond to the query.

After buying Mission for $1.9 billion, HCA used “systematic playbook-driven cuts” to staffing, services and resources in search of profits, Reclaim has said, adding that such tactics undermined public trust and diminished a system that once provided best-in-class medical care.

As a nonprofit, Mission was granted special state permission in 1995 to buy competitor St. Joseph’s and form a regional monopoly. The state added special rules limiting Mission on revenue and the number of doctors it could hire. In 2015, the GOP-majority General Assembly voted to revoke those controls and four years later HCA bought the untethered health care system.

Former N.C. state Sen. Tom Apodaca of Henderson County engineered the revocation, characterizing it in an interview last month with the Citizen Times as being aligned with his support of free markets.

Edwards, another Henderson County Republican, who is running for a second term in Congress, also pointed to competition as a possible fix. “It has been my mission as a member of the House Appropriations and Budget committees to promote funding and policies that disincentivize this kind of consolidation and promote greater choice, affordability and quality health care,” he said.

Smith, the Republican north Buncombe resident running for the 115th N.C. House District, said she was glad to see AdventHealth building a hospital northwest of Weaverville. “I think that’s a wonderful thing − to allow competition, to allow alternatives, good alternatives to a bad alternative,” she said.

The 115th District incumbent, Democratic N.C. state Rep. Lindsey Prather of Candler, said she was “absolutely” in favor of pushing for a sale. “Time and time again, ever since HCA bought Mission, they have shown that they are not the right fit for this community,” Prather said.

Mayfield said increasing competition is a key factor that Reclaim will encourage − and if the General Assembly lifts the CON law that could bring a flood of new providers. Barring that, any meaningful competition with the large Mission system is “years away,” the Asheville resident and 49th District state senator said. “That may help as HCA thinks about its long-term financial prospects in the region, but we would like movement sooner than that,” she said. [Source]

 

Buckhout Boost

Danielle Battaglia, McClatchy, 7/29/24

The National Republican Congressional Committee has named Laurie Buckhout as one of its “Young Guns.” The announcement may mean extra attention on a swing district in Eastern North Carolina, and comes as Buckhout’s opponent, Rep. Don Davis, has joined in criticism of his party’s likely presidential nominee.

Buckhout, 62, of Edenton, is a retired Army colonel who created Corvus Consulting, a business specializing in electronic warfare and cyberspace operations. She sold the business for $43 million only seven years after launching it. Now she is vying for a chance to represent, in Congress, her community and the surrounding 21 counties in North Carolina’s northeast.

Being named a Young Gun gives Buckhout access to mentors, support and tools from the NRCC to win her election. She is one of 26 Republicans being added to the Young Guns program.

“Extreme House Democrats’ border, crime and cost of living crises wrecked Americans’ safety and security,” said NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson, a North Carolina member of Congress. “Fortunately, these Republican candidates are already well on their way to running winning campaigns that will grow our House majority in November.”

Buckhout is competing to representing North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District against Davis, the incumbent. Davis, 52, a Democrat and Army veteran from Snow Hill, is in his first term in Congress, and formerly was a six-term state senator and the youngest person to ever be elected mayor of his town. He succeeded Rep. G.K. Butterfield, a Democrat, who served in the U.S. House for 18 years.

Butterfield retired after seeing a map the Republican-led General Assembly planned to use for the 2022 election. Butterfield said he was fed up with legislators gerrymandering his district and felt he could fight against it more effectively outside of Congress. But the courts got involved and had an independent mapmaker redraw the congressional districts for 2022, which gave the two political parties an even 7-7 split in representation in Congress.

Davis defeated his Republican opponent with more than 52% of the vote. Then Republican legislators got a chance to redraw the map again for the 2024 election cycle and gave their party an easy win in 10 districts, leaving Democrats with another three.

The 1st Congressional District is now the state’s only true swing district, meaning its voters could pick either a Democrat or a Republican, though it leans slightly Republican. That’s put Davis in a precarious position as he tries to align himself both with his base, and others who might not agree with Democrats’ platform.

Davis is seen as a moderate Democrat, and was recently ranked as the second-most most bipartisan U.S. House Democrat and the fifth-most bipartisan member of either party, according to the Lugar Center and Georgetown University.

On Thursday, Davis voted with five Democrats and House Republicans on a resolution that chastised Vice President Kamala Harris for her work on immigration policy. On Friday morning, he put out a statement that while work is still needed on the southern border, he was endorsing Harris’ campaign and supporting Gov. Roy Cooper as her running mate. Cooper is among several people under consideration for vice president.

Davis’ statement Friday makes him the last of North Carolina’s seven Democrats in the U.S. House to offer his support to Harris.

Since early last year, the NRCC has targeted Davis’ seat, hungry for a win to keep Republicans’ narrow majority in the House. The NRCC requires candidates named to the Young Guns program to meet specific goals and benchmarks throughout the campaign season to keep their campaigns competitive, well-funded and communicative within their districts. Last month, NRCC announced a $2.4 million investment to run ads about the 1st district in the Greenville and Raleigh markets. [Source]

Overdose Prevention

Rachel Crumpler, NC Health News, 7/30/24

The N.C. Department of Adult Correction says it is putting resources into expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder to both those who are incarcerated and for those who are headed back into the community.

Roughly 70 percent of the more than 31,000 people in North Carolina’s prison population is in need of treatment for some kind of substance use, according to Gary Junker, deputy secretary of Comprehensive Health Services at the N.C. Department of Adult Correction. About 9 percent of these folks — about 1,700 people — have an opioid use disorder. “That’s relatively small but impactful and meaningful,” Junker said.

But the resources to provide treatment haven’t kept pace with growing demand, he said. In fact, there’s a widening gap, as NC Health News has previously reported.

Junker told members of the North Carolina Joint Reentry Council on July 24 that prisons are like “health care stations,” where people receive care for a period of time. And because 95 percent of the people incarcerated in the state will eventually return home, how the prison system performs that care will eventually impact the health of the community.

Researchers have found that providing medications for opioid use disorder can help curb overdoses post-release, and providing those for people leaving prison is now considered best practice. Many studies also show that providing these medications in correctional settings decreases opioid use, results in less criminal activity after release and dampens the spread of infectious disease.

In recent years, the Department of Adult Correction has explored this philosophy, offering treatment to a small fraction of people in a pilot program.

Junker, who’s worked in corrections for 35 years, acknowledged it’s a “huge cultural shift.”

Amid limited resources, Chief Medical Officer Arthur Campbell told the Joint Reentry Council that the Department of Adult Correction is focused on providing substance use treatment where the “most dire need is.” He said the prison system is targeting the critical point of exit from prison to a person’s home community — a particularly deadly time for people with substance use disorders.

A 2018 study done in North Carolina found that formerly incarcerated people are 40 times more likely than the average person to die of an opioid overdose within two weeks of release from prison. [Source]
 

Hispanic Voters

Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi, The News & Observer, 7/29/24

Hispanic voters in North Carolina are more likely than non-Hispanics to vote for a candidate from a political party they have not voted for before, findings from a new poll conducted in June show. “North Carolina is one of the fastest growing states in the country, and campaigns are fighting tooth and nail for the state’s crucial sixteen electoral votes.
If campaigns want to be competitive in the Tar Heel State, they will need to make major inroads with the state’s Latino voters, 57% of whom say they need more information about the candidates and their positions on the issues,” said Michele Day, senior vice president of the Political, Advocacy, and Government Group at TelevisaUnivision, in a news release.

Here’s a look at some of the key findings from the poll conducted by TelevisaUnivision Consumer Strategy & Insights’ sales division in collaboration with Media Predict, a company that provides custom surveys, concept testing and more.

Hispanic voters are more likely to be crossover voters in the 2024 election. For the upcoming election, likely voters were asked in the poll how likely or unlikely they were to vote for a candidate from a political party that they typically had not voted for in the past. Of Hispanics, 20% said they were “very likely” to vote for a candidate from a different political party and 26% said they were “somewhat likely” to do so.

Meanwhile, only 18% of non-Hispanic voters said they were “very likely” while 13% said they were “somewhat likely.”

Hispanic voters were less certain about who they would choose for president than other voters, according to the poll, which was taken before recent upheaval in the presidential campaign.

The poll asked voters who they would vote for in a hypothetical matchup between President Joe Biden — who at the time of polling was still running — and GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. Results showed that 29% of Hispanic voters “definitely” preferred Biden and 24% “definitely” preferred Trump. Meanwhile, 48% of Hispanic voters were not tied to a candidate: 18% said they would “probably” vote for Biden and another 11% said they would “probably” vote for Trump, while 13% said they would vote for someone else and 6% said they were “unsure” or did not know.

The poll also showed that Hispanic voters were less certain even when they had decided how to vote for president. Asked how certain they were that they’d made the right choice of candidate in the presidential race, 51% of Hispanics said they were completely certain of their choice. The remainder had varying degrees of certainty.

In a hypothetical matchup between North Carolina’s Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein in the race to become the next governor, both Hispanics and non-Hispanics favored Stein. But once again, Hispanics were less likely to be confident with their decision. One-fourth of Hispanics said they would “definitely” choose Stein, while 14% said they would “definitely” pick Robinson. Meanwhile, 54% were not certain or not tied to a candidate. The remaining 7% said they would pick someone else.

Meanwhile, 36% of non-Hispanics said they would “definitely” pick Stein and 21% would “definitely” pick Robinson. Meanwhile, 38% were not certain or not tied to a candidate. The remaining 4% said they would pick someone else. [Source]

 

Water Transfer

Zachary Turner, WFAE Radio, 7/29/24

Charlotte Water is requesting permission to increase the amount of water it can transfer from the Catawba River Basin to the Rocky River Basin. The utility is hosting its final public meeting Monday night before submitting an application to state regulators.

Charlotte Water is the state’s largest utility, serving just over 1 million people. The utility can currently transfer up to 33 million gallons per day from the Catawba River Basin to the Rocky River Basin. This is the largest cap granted by any interbasin transfer certificate in the state.

Surface water from Lake Norman and Mountain Island Lake is used in the Charlotte area. Some of that water is then discharged into the Rocky River Basin, which includes the eastern part of Mecklenburg County. Charlotte Water wants to increase the maximum amount of water it can discharge into the Rocky River Basin by an undetermined amount. The current permit, issued in 2002, set a cap expected to serve Charlotte Water until 2030.

This would not impact the amount of water the utility can draw from the Catawba. [Source]

 

Atrium Lawsuit

Chase Jordan, The Charlotte Observer, 7/29/24

Atrium Health is being sued by an insurance provider over claims of not supporting a Medicare program for patients, according to North Carolina Business Court records.

ApexHealth and its associated businesses claim that Atrium Health breached a contract to collaborate on a new Medicare Advantage health plan. As a result, ApexHealth lost $62 million setting up the program, according to its attorneys. The case was filed in Mecklenburg County in May. An agreement was made between the parties in May 2021 and announced to the public that November, according to the court complaint and a news release.
Apex is seeking compensation for losses.

Atrium has until July 29 to provide a response in the case, after a judge approved an extension following previous court proceedings. Neither Atrium nor ApexHealth responded to request for comment from The Charlotte Observer.

Medicare Advantage is a health plan offered by a private company that contracts with Medicare, a federal health insurance for anyone age 65 and older, and some people under 65 with certain disabilities or conditions. In 2021, ApexHealth said that Atrium would anchor its integrated network of providers and hospitals in the Carolinas for the Medicare Advantage plan and its members.

Under the agreement, ApexHealth was to offer its Medicare Advantage health plan within the Carolinas, starting in 2022, according to the suit. Atrium was to serve as the exclusive health care provider for plan members in area where it provides services, subject to the addition of other providers, necessary to meet network requirements.

The suit noted that Apex’s enrollment numbers for the plan was a flop, with less than 200 members because of Atrium’s lack of cooperation and cost it tens of millions of dollars and future earnings. Atrium “fell woefully short” of fulfilling the duties under the agreement, made its own financial benefits a priority over the contract, failed to provide necessary resources and never made efforts for the contract, ApexHealth claimed in the suit. “In fact, Atrium was often an active hindrance to the plan’s success, preventing any meaningful marketing of the plan and refusing to perform its duties to assist and support Apex’s marketing efforts,” ApexHealth argued in the complaint. “Atrium’s failures caused the entire plan to fail.” [Source]

 

Farmworker Death

Aaron Sánchez-Guerra, WUNC Radio, 7/29/24

The North Carolina Department of Labor’s Occupational Health and Safety Division is investigating the workplace death of a migrant farmworker in Wayne County earlier this month. Juan José Ceballos died on July 6 and his death was reported on July 8, according to the state Labor Department. A department spokesperson declined to disclose details into the nature of his death.

A GoFundMe page set up to support the Ceballos family, however, says he died from heat-related illness.

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to WUNC’s request for a death investigation report.

The state has opened an inspection into his employer, Gracia and Sons LLC, a seasonal farm labor contractor. The OSH Division will have six months to issue any citations if the inspection finds that rules were broken. In 2023, the same contractor settled out of court after being sued for human trafficking, wage theft and mistreatment of female migrant workers, several media outlets reported.

The maximum temperature recorded the day of Ceballo’s death was 101 degrees Fahrenheit in nearby Johnston County, according to the National Weather Service. It was one of only of a few days with a temperature high of at least 100 degrees.

On Sept. 5, 2023, migrant Mexican farmworker José Arturo González Mendoza, 29, died on a hot summer day from heat-related issues in Nash County. Earlier in March, the state Labor Department fined Barnes Farming $187,500 as a result. They cited a “willful serious violation,” along with two other “serious” violations, fining the company the maximum penalty. [Source]

 

Environmental Initiative

April Laissle, WFDD Radio, 7/29/24

The state of North Carolina is seeking public input on an environmental justice initiative outlined in an executive order signed by Gov. Roy Cooper late last year. It reestablished a statewide Environmental Justice Advisory Council and directed state agencies to create environmental goals. The council, which is made up of both government officials and community members, is tasked with providing guidance to policymakers. 

The order also supported the creation of a mapping tool that’s designed to make it easier for citizens to identify environmental justice issues. It charts the locations of hazardous waste sites, drought or flood-prone areas, and the rates of certain diseases by location, among other things. 

Officials say the council plans to use these kinds of tools and other data-driven approaches to “reduce exposures to life-threatening environmental contaminants,” particularly in the state’s historically marginalized communities. The public is invited to share their concerns at a statewide community meeting to be held virtually this Thursday at 5 p.m. In-person forums are also scheduled for several counties including Warren and Duplin. [Source]

 

Aetna Tour

The (Morganton) News Herald, 7/29/24

North Carolina State Treasurer Dale Folwell and the State Health Plan will be partnering with Aetna, its new Third-Party Administrator. Together, the team will launch a tour across the state to meet with members about the benefits and enhanced programs offered by Aetna this year.

The tour will offer members the opportunity to ask questions about the transition. Members also will have the chance to receive their annual flu shot at tour locations while supplies last.

The road tour, featuring Aetna vehicles, will kick off in Raleigh at the Department of State Treasurer’s office on July 25, then will be at the North Carolina General Assembly on Aug. 22. After the Raleigh events, the tour will roll through the state from late August through late October, with stops in Morganton, Charlotte, Wilmington, Asheville, Winston-Salem, Fayetteville and other locations. The tour coincides with the plan’s 2025 open enrollment period, which will be held Sept. 30 through Oct. 25. [Source]

Airport Traffic

Chase Jordan, The Charlotte Observer, 7/29/24

People parking at Charlotte’s airport or looking to pick up passengers at the ever-busy lower level arrivals area can now avoid that busy traffic headache all together.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport unveiled two skybridges to reporters on Monday connecting the hourly parking deck to the terminal and the new mezzanine in the lobby. They also work if you want to avoid traffic lines headed to the upper deck departures area when dropping off passengers. They are officially scheduled to open early Wednesday.

The skybridges sit under a 146,000-square-foot glass canopy, providing passengers weather protection. Once the walkways are open, people walking between the terminal and the hourly deck and rental car facility must use the skybridges or underground walkways. The airport said crossing the road to and from the hourly deck will be prohibited.

Passengers using airport and hotel shuttle buses, rideshares, and curbside drop-offs and pickups are not impacted by the changes.

The bridges will also help with traffic conditions since there will be fewer vehicles needing to stop for people to cross, said Chief Infrastructure Officer Jack Christine. “People still stop and pick up and drop off on those five lanes,” Christine said about both levels. “It’s not like the traffic is going to go away. But being able to efficiently move that traffic and not have to worry about the customers crossing is the goal.”

The total cost for the lobby expansion work is $608 million, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. Airport officials were unable to immediately provide the stand-alone cost for the skybridges. [Source]

 

Coal Ash Cap

Lola Oliverio, The Daily Tar Heel, 7/28/24
 
In early July, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality released a draft Brownfields agreement to clean up the coal ash present at 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., where the Chapel Hill Police Department is located.

Brownfields agreements are issued with the goal to lessen environmental liabilities that may affect developers’ ability to finance projects. The agreement would bar developers from building housing on the property but allow them to construct recreational spaces, transit access, parking or municipal service centers. Prior to housing the Chapel Hill Police Department, the 828 MLK Jr. Blvd. site was used as a borrow pit for the Town and University. In the early 1980s, the Town acquired the property and built the police station. The 46,000 tons of coal ash on the site were not discovered until 2013.

Coal ash is a byproduct of coal-burning power plants. The coal ash at the 828 site comes from UNC’s Cogeneration Facility, which produces coal and steam for the University, located on Cameron Avenue. UNC is the only higher learning institution in the state to still operate a coal plant, Perrin de Jong — a staff attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity — said.

In 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency released a draft risk assessment in which they recognized that the cancer risk from coal ash exposure may be 35 times higher than previously thought. Compounds present in coal ash include arsenic, lead and mercury, all of which are either declared as or suspected to be carcinogens.

Under the proposed Brownfields agreement, the Town would develop a plan to cap the coal ash. Coal ash capping is typically done by draining surface water from the area and placing material atop the ash to “cap” it in place. This method does not prevent further pollution, but is less expensive than removing the ash altogether, making it an economically desirable option. [Source]

 

Book Challenges

Miya Banks, The (Morganton) News Herald, 7/29/24

The sometimes contentious debate about 24 books challenged in Catawba County Schools could have a negative impact on growth in the area, Board of Education Chairman Jeff Taylor said. In March 2022, concerned grandmother Michelle Teague challenged 24 books in Catawba County Schools libraries. In November 2022, Teague was elected to the Catawba County Schools Board of Education.

It took two years for reading committees to review all 24 books. The decision on several books eventually landed in the hands of the school board, resulting in public hearings concerning the fate of the books. The last book hearing was on March 18.

Some books were moved to higher reading levels, four books were restricted and three books were removed from school libraries.

“What worries me is that if we move too far to the right, if we become too reactionary, people will go somewhere else,” Taylor said. Taylor said his opinions are his own and do not reflect the Catawba County Schools Board of Education. Taylor said he did not want to be alarmist, but in his experience, people find three things important: safe neighborhoods, quality of life and good schools.

“If any of those get out of balance, it’s like a stool,” Taylor said. “You kick one leg out from under a three-legged stool and it’s going to tilt over.”

Taylor said he does not think the county has reached the point of being known for book challenges yet. [Source]

 

River Bacteria

WTVD News, 7/29/24

A North Carolina river is deemed ‘too dirty’ to swim in. People are advised to refrain from swimming in the French Broad River near Asheville for 24 to 48 hours, or until the water is less muddy. Samples showed high levels of bacteria, including e-coli from recirculating water. According to officials, it’s because of the recent heavy rains.

“What we recommend for folks to do is…find somewhere else to go swim,” Anna Alsobrook, the watershed science and policy manager at MountainTrue, said. “We’ve seen everything from ear infections to GI issues (to) sinus infections.”

Officials are also telling people to avoid ingesting any water until the quality level improves, which could be in a matter of days. French Broad River flows from North Carolina into Tennessee. [Source]

 

Bluegrass Festival

Richard Stradling, The News & Observer, 7/29/24

The International Bluegrass Music Association said last fall that after this year it would not return to Raleigh for its annual convention and music festival. Now we know where they’re going instead: Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The IBMA announced Monday that it would hold its World of Bluegrass event in Chattanooga for at least three years, starting in September 2025. The final Raleigh World of Bluegrass will take place Sept. 24 through 28. Among the headliners this year are Sierra Ferrell, Sam Bush, Sierra Hull, Steep Canyon Rangers and Chatham County Line.

The IBMA has held its showcase event in Raleigh for more than a decade, drawing thousands of people downtown each fall.

World of Bluegrass debuted in Raleigh in 2012, after IBMA sought to spread its reach beyond Nashville. Except for a one-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, it became one of the biggest events of the year in Raleigh, and the city hoped to keep it. The city submitted a proposed contract that the IBMA board turned down, said Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin.

“We had a great relationship,” Baldwin told The News & Observer last fall. “The sense I got is they are ready to try something new.”

In Monday’s announcement, IBMA said it considered more than 30 potential destinations for “a new home.”

Chattanooga got some financial help wooing IBMA. The nonprofit Chattanooga Tourism Co. is the first to receive money from the Tennessee Special Event Fund, created in 2022 to attract big events to the state, and will use the money to support World of Bluegrass. The tourism group said it expects the multi-day event to draw more than 45,000 people to Chattanooga and generate more than $30 million in economic activity and more than $1 million in state tax revenue. [Source]

Aquarium Director

News Release, 7/29/24

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) announced Monday that Joanna Zazzali has been named the next director of the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher. An aquarium employee for more than 16 years, Zazzali will assume her new role on Aug. 1. Zazzali replaces Hap Fatzinger, who left the aquarium in January to become director of the North Carolina Aquariums Division.

“The Aquariums are excited that Joanna Zazzali will be serving as the new director for the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher,” said Fatzinger. Zazzali began her career at the aquarium in 2008 as an admissions cashier before serving as the aquarium’s registrar from 2010-2012. Zazzali has been acting director of the aquarium since Fatzinger’s departure in January.

NC Insider Legislative Report

LB: LEGISLATIVE BUILDING. LOB: LEGISLATIVE OFFICE BUILDING

HOUSE CALENDAR

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

House Convenes at 10:30 a.m.

SENATE CALENDAR

Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024

• Senate Convenes at 9:30 a.m.

HOUSE & SENATE: Reconvening allowed under provisions of SB 916, if no sine die adjournment previously adopted.

• Monday, Sept. 9 to Wednesday, Sept. 11
• Wednesday, Oct. 9
• Tuesday, Nov. 19 to Friday Nov. 22
• Wednesday, Dec. 11 to Friday Dec. 13

Other Legislative Studies and Meetings

LB: LEGISLATIVE BUILDING. LOB: LEGISLATIVE OFFICE BUILDING

HOUSE CALENDAR

Monday, July 29, 2024

• House Convenes at 12:00 P.M.

SENATE CALENDAR

Monday, July 29, 2024

• House Convenes at 12:00 P.M.

HOUSE & SENATE: Reconvening allowed under provisions of SB 916, if no sine die adjournment previously adopted.

• Monday, July 29 to Thursday Aug. 1
• Monday, Sept. 9 to Wednesday, Sept. 11
• Wednesday, Oct. 9
• Tuesday, Nov. 19 to Friday Nov. 22
• Wednesday, Dec. 11 to Friday Dec. 13

N.C. Government Meetings and Hearings

BOLD ITEMS ARE NEW LISTINGS

Wednesday, July 31

• 10 a.m. | North Carolina State Board of Education meets, 1 South Wilmington St, Raleigh.

Thursday, Aug. 1

• 6 p.m. | The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality Public Hearing on Moriah Energy Center Draft Air Quality Permit, Vance-Granville Community College, 200 Community College Road, Henderson.

Friday, Aug. 2

• 10 a.m. | The Energy Policy Council  – Energy Assurance Committee, 217 W Jones St, Raleigh.

Monday, Aug. 5

• 9 a.m. | The Board Development Committee of The North Carolina Partnership for Children meets, The meeting will be held via Zoom. You may contact Yvonne Huntley at 984.221.1242 or email at [email protected] for additional information.

Tuesday, Aug. 6

• 9 a.m. | The Council of State meets. 1 South Wilmington St, Raleigh.
• 9 a.m. | North Carolina Board of Transportation Meeting, 1 S Wilmington St, Raleigh.
• 1 p.m. | NC Coastal Resources Commission meets, 400 Commerce Ave, Morehead City.
• 1:30 p.m. | The North Carolina Local Government Commission – August Meeting, 3200 Atlantic Ave, Raleigh.

Wednesday, Aug. 7

• 12 p.m. | North Carolina Commission for Public Health meets, 1101 Gorman St, Raleigh.
• 1:15 p.m. | North Carolina Board of Transportation Meeting, 1 S Wilmington St, Raleigh.

Thursday, Aug. 8

• 9:30 a.m. | North Carolina Taskforce for Offshore Wind Economic Resource Strategies (NC TOWERS), ECU’s Coastal Studies Institute 850 NC 345, Wanchese.
• 10 a.m. | Quarterly Meeting of the State Ethics Commission, 424 North Blount St, Raleigh.

Tuesday, Aug. 13

• 11 a.m. | Economic Investment Committee  –  Regular Meeting, 301 N. Wilmington St, Raleigh.

Wednesday, Aug. 14

• 9 a.m. | North Carolina Real Estate Commission Meeting, 1313 Navaho Drive, Raleigh.

Monday, Aug. 19

• 2 p.m. | The Executive Committee of The North Carolina Partnership for Children meets, The meeting will be held via Zoom. You may contact Yvonne Huntley at 984.221.1242 or email at [email protected] for additional information.

UNC Board of Governors

23 S. WEST STREET, SUITE 1800, RALEIGH

Wednesday, Sept. 11

• Meeting of the Board of Governors, TBA.

Thursday, Sept. 12

• Meeting of the Board of Governors, TBA.

Thursday, Oct. 17

• Meeting of the Board of Governors, TBA.

Wednesday, Nov. 13

• Meeting of the Board of Governors, TBA.

Thursday, Nov. 14

• Meeting of the Board of Governors, TBA.

N.C. Utilities Commission Hearing Schedule

DOBBS BUILDING, 430 NORTH SALISBURY STREET, RALEIGH

Tuesday, Aug. 13

• 10 a.m. | Public Hearing – Annual Review of Gas Costs | G-5 Sub 675

Wednesday, Aug. 14

• 7 p.m. | Public Witness Hearing – Application for General Rate Increase for Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc. | G-9 Sub 837

Tuesday, Aug. 20

• 6 p.m. | Public Witness Hearing – Application for Transfer of Public Utility Franchise and Approval of Rates of HISCO East, LLC in Carteret County to HISCO I in Carteret County | W-1297 Sub 17, W-1344 Sub 0
• 6 p.m. | Public Witness Hearing – Application for Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and for Approval of Rates to Provide Sewer Utility Service to Currently Served Cape Ponte Village Subdivision, Additional Phases for the National Park Service, Harkers Island RV Park and a Fe | W-1344 Sub 1

Wednesday, Aug. 21

• 7 p.m. | Public Witness Hearing – Application for General Rate Increase for Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc. | G-9 Sub 837

Thursday, Aug. 22

• 7 p.m. | Public Witness Hearing – Application for General Rate Increase for Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc. | G-9 Sub 837

Other Meetings and Events of Interest

BOLD ITEMS ARE NEW LISTINGS

Wednesday, July 31

• 9 a.m. | PRESS CONFERENCE: Representative Maria Cervania, Press Room LB.

Friday, Sept. 27

2024 Lumbee Powwow, Lumbee Tribe Cultural Center, 638 Terry Sanford Drive, Maxton.m at 95, Selma.