Rep. Chris Malone

NC House District 35 May 17th, 2016

Rep. Chris Malone

N.C. House of Representatives

300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 603

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

919-715-3010

Chris.malone@ncleg.net

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST

Raleigh, NC- The budget review for the ‘Short Session’ is

complete and the proposed budget update is now making its

way through the Appropriations committee and will be

amended in that committee. Soon it will be on the floor of

the House and then to the Senate, and ultimately to

Conference committee. As it stands now the data below is

what is proposed. We are pleased that our policies of fiscal

restraint and holding departments accountable have

continued to allow DHHS to return funds to the State.

Secretary Brajer’s excellent stewardship of the people’s

money continues to pay dividends to all North Carolinians.

Most importantly, more eligible folks than ever before are

receiving care and health services, particularly in the

Mental Health arena. A healthier North Carolina is a good

thing for all of us.

I am pleased to announce that the team on the

Department of Health and Human Services Appropriations

Committee has proposed a budget in the amount of

$5,061,424,065, which reflects a 2.1% increase from the

base budget. $7.7 million from the budget will be allocated

for establishing a residency program at Cape Fear Valley

Hospital with a focus on rural healthcare.

The budget also allocates a one-time expenditure of $1.25 million to help modernize

Medicaid with new data sources, automatic reporting, analytic capabilities and other tools

to analyze claims. The budget also provides a one-time expenditure of $1.9 million in

investments for new hardware, enhanced digital performance, greater technical support

capabilities, and increased efficiency overall in the central office.

In addition to that, we will see an expansion of slots in the North Carolina

Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults Waiver come into effect January 1,

2017. This will help accommodate the 9,800 people on the waiver’s waiting list and will

cost $1.5 million for the current year and $3 million annually in the coming years. Our

budget also allocates spending $3.7 million on increased rates on services for registered

nurses provided under the North Carolina Community Alternatives Program for Disabled

Adults Waiver. The goal of this is to match the rates of private duty nurses. The budget

will also provide $4.1 million to address changes in the state and local special assistance

eligibility criteria resulting in approximately 575 new Medicaid enrollees; independent of

federal aid and the burdens that would result from such aid. The Medicaid office will also

see a $690,000 allocation for 15 new employees. The budget also grants single payments

of $3.4 million going to the State Public Health Laboratory, $1.2 million going to

Children’s Developmental Services Agencies, and $8.5 million going to local health

departments. These single payments will strengthen our state’s public health system and

allow us to better meet the needs of our citizens. In response to the concerns surrounding

the Zika virus outbreak, which is one of Governor McCrory’s top priorities, the budget has

included $750,000 to create a surveillance program designed to detect, prevent, and

respond to potential carriers of Zika and similar viruses. Also, our budget will direct the

Department of Health and Human Services to use federal and State AIDS Drug Assistance

Program funds for premiums, co-payments, and other costs associated with private health

insurance coverage.

One of my top priorities as chairman of the Department of Health and Human

Services Appropriations Committee has been mental health. That being said, we are

excited that the budget allocated a single payment of $27 million from the Dorothea Dix

Property Fund to convert and construct many rural hospital beds into behavioral health

beds. This allocation will increase the number of facility-based crisis centers where they

are needed most. This will also give priority to centers for children and adolescents in an

effort to further enrich North Carolina’s overall pediatric mental health treatment. Our

budget also grants a single expenditure of $30 million to implement the recommendations

of the Governor’s Task Force on Mental Health and Substance Use. Also, the funds will

only be spent after approval from the Office of State Budget and Management and after

consultation with Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services.

We made this condition because we will not allow this allocation to be spent without

continued oversight and for anything other than its intended purpose. Also in the area of

mental health, funding from federal grants will allow the Department of Health and Human

Services to start a medication assistance therapy program that combines behavioral

treatment and medication to prevent opioid relapse. In addition to that, the budget also

funds the State’s efforts to combat Alzheimer’s disease and similar conditions that affect

aging North Carolinians.

As it pertains to the care of North Carolina’s children and needy, our budget will

also provide $4 million that will allow 800 additional children to be served with Pre-

Kindergarten. It also provides $3.5 million to increase the Child Care Subsidy. It also

grants $9 million for enhancements to the Child Welfare system to improve the safety and

outcomes of children involved. This includes funding for training of local departments of

social services, improving the foster care licensing and recruitment process, and additional

funding for In-Home services to support children while keeping families together. By doing

this we hope to reduce the likelihood of children entering into foster care. The budget also

provides $3.7 million to increase the State-County Special Assistance rate for Adult Care

homes. Thus, granting more care to individuals who need it.

I remain committed to manage our state’s system for ensuring public health and

wellbeing in a fiscally responsible manner for the taxpayers of North Carolina. This is an

important role because the health and care of our citizens is the first step in continuing

North Carolina’s growing prosperity. Rest assured that I will continue my duty to protect

North Carolina’s public health, children, and those who cannot protect themselves and will

do so in the most fiscally responsible way possible.