Federal Updates

Should North Carolina operate its Medicaid oral health program as fee-for-service or transition to managed care?
North Carolina Health News
June 14, 2022 - As lawmakers ponder whether to expand Medicaid to add some 600,000 more people to the rolls, the North Carolina Oral Health Collaborative is looking at a different aspect of the federal- and state-sponsored insurance program. Nearly a year ago, North Carolina transformed its Medicaid program from a fee-for-service-based plan to a system managed by private insurers. The oral health portion of the program, however, was not part of the Medicaid transformation. It is still managed by the state. Read the full article here.
Why the War in Ukraine Might Make Root Canals More Difficult
KHN
June 6, 2022 - Russia’s assault on Ukraine is being felt worldwide, and the U.S. health care system is not immune. Both Russia and Ukraine are powerhouses in supplying certain commodities — in this case, ammonium nitrate and natural gas. These commodities, after being refined, can produce two gases crucial for the health care system: nitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas, and helium. They are used in millions of procedures each day. And crimped supplies could make every root canal that much more painful and every MRI scan that much pricier. The disruption also represents more turbulence for the U.S. health care system’s supply chain. Read the full article here.
NC health bill with Medicaid expansion gets first Senate OK
AP
June 2, 2022 - A wide-ranging health care access bill penned by Republicans that includes covering hundreds of thousands of additional North Carolina adults through Medicaid received initial approval Wednesday from the state Senate. Support was nearly unanimous in the chamber for the measure, which also loosens practice restrictions on specialty nurses and eases government scrutiny of medical construction and equipment. The bill’s anchor — Medicaid expansion — represents a dramatic turn for its prospects in North Carolina after being blocked for a decade by GOP elected officials. Still, House Republicans aren’t interested in considering expansion during the annual work session expected to end around July 1, Speaker Tim Moore said recently, potentially leaving the issue for the fall or 2023. A final Senate vote is expected Thursday before the bill moves to the House. Read the full article here.