#1 Story for 2023: Medicaid expansion starts in North Carolina

RALIEGH, NC – December 1, 2023 – On December 1^st, North Carolina officially became the 40^th state to expand Medicaid, the federal program for health insurance for low-resource individuals. A state Medicaid expansion (ME) bill was passed by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor in March_. However, the bill was tied directly to the 2023-24 state budget which was finally passed by the General Assembly on September 27^th. ME was in the Affordable Care Act of 2010 and left to each state to decide in a subsequent Supreme Court ruling.

ME increases health care access to eligible North Carolinians ages 19-64 and their families with earnings from 100 percent of the federal poverty level to 138 percent. It is estimated that 600 thousand more North Carolinians will be eligible for Medicaid, including almost 17 thousand from Buncombe County.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) enrolled about 300 thousand people who lost their full-benefit Medicaid insurance when the COVID national emergency ended in April because they made too much money. However, HHS enrolled these people in a limited Medicaid benefit plan that provides family planning benefits for people who make up to 195 percent of the federal poverty level. Therefore, they will automatically be enrolled in Medicaid.

Expanding Medicaid will bring the state 8 billion federal dollars annually, almost 2 billion dollars to support behavioral health, public safety, and rural health care, and 2 billion dollars for starting the program this year.

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

UNITED STATES –  December 20, 2023 – The U.S. COVID-19 national emergency started in 2020 and ended in May. Therefore, more Americans had healthcare coverage, food assistance, and access to tests, vaccines and medical treatment.

Americans have developed some immunity to COVID-19 from immunizations and previous infection so there is a much lower rate of deaths, hospital admissions, and emergency room visits this year. However, new variants continue to infect people with the most at-risk groups being more susceptible to severe illness.

For the week ending on December 9^th, COVID accounts for

• A low rate of hospital admissions in 94 of 100 counties in North Carolina, including Buncombe County, and about 70% of the counties in the U.S.
• About 3% of deaths and a low rate of emergency room visits in North Carolina

Wastewater monitoring may provide early warning for COVID outbreaks. According to the Buncombe & Henderson counties weekly wastewater data ending on December 6^th

• The number of viral gene copies in each water sample is at the highest level
• The 15-day rate of change has increased to the 10-99% range.

Here’s the CDC’s COVID recommendations:

• Eligible people ages 6 months and older can get the updated vaccine to reduce the risk of severe illness from the latest strains.
• Wear an efficient medical grade mask for extra protection
• Get tested if you have any symptoms
• Stay home if you test positive or do not feel well
• Your doctor may consider medical treatment if you test positive

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

RALEIGH, NC – March 15, 2023 – On June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court reversed the 50-year-old law Roe v. Wade. The Court said that a woman did not have a constitutional right to abortion and reproductive health and turned decision-making over to each state. Half of the states restricted abortion access.

There were more medically-induced abortions in the U.S. and in North Carolina than by surgery. However, nineteen states, including North Carolina, have recently passed laws that restrict a physician’s ability to prescribe and dispense abortion drugs. The N.C. law mandates that the medicine can only be dispensed in-person following a 72-hour waiting period, after counseling, and an ultrasound in some cases. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein feels that the restrictions are preempted by U.S. Food & Drug Administration regulations that permit access to the pills.

Until July 1^st, an abortion could be performed in North Carolina up to 20 weeks after fertilization. The state had a 37 percent increase in abortions after the court decision, driven by abortion bans in nearby states. However, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a new law banning most surgical abortions after 12 weeks and medical abortions after 10 weeks. Exceptions are rape and incest, life-limiting fetal abnormalities, and the life of the mother. Patients must make 2 trips including in-person counseling at least 72 hours before having an abortion. There were 31% fewer abortions than the previous month after the law took effect on July 1^st.

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

WASHINGTON, DC – 2023 – President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) lowering the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare recipients in 2022. This is how the IRA lowers health care costs for Medicare recipients in 2023:

• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will be able to negotiate prices of 10 drugs with drug companies
• Insulin co-payments will be capped at $35 a month
• Drug companies will offer rebates if drug prices outpace inflation

America is the only developed nation in the world where cash-strapped hard-working Americans have to compromise their health by spending their limited resources on food and shelter instead of prescription medicine.

On August 29^th, the federal government announced the first 10 drugs that CMS will negotiate cost with pharmaceutical companies. The government aims to obtain the lowest maximum fair price to make drugs more affordable while allowing the drug companies to make a profit.

In March, three pharmaceutical companies that manufacture 90% of the world’s insulin cut insulin prices. These price controls come after a recent surge in interest about the cost of insulin in America tripling over the past 20 years and being 10 times more than the average price in other countries. More than 1.3 million Americans either skipped or had to ration doses because of the high cost. Therefore, this new policy will reduce the financial barrier to obtain these life-saving medicines for Americans younger than 65.

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

WASHINGTON, DC  – April 12, 2023 – Two pharmaceutical companies have manufactured new drugs to control diabetes and each one has been modified for weight loss. Novo Nordisk developed Ozempic, (with the active ingredient semiglutide), to treat diabetes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved it in 2017. However, rapid weight loss after taking the medicine dramatically increased its popularity. Therefore, Novo Nordisk developed another medicine with semiglutide, called Wegovy, to treat obesity. The FDA approved the drug in 2021. Last year the FDA approved the Eli Lilly medicine Mounjaro (with the active ingredient tirzepatide) to control diabetes. Last month, the FDA approved the Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide weight-loss drug Zepbound. Obese patients can lose between 15-20% of their body weight taking these medicines. The weight loss drugs are recommended for patients  who are obese, with a Body Mass Index (BMI) at 30 or greater, or overweight, with a BMI greater than or equal to 27 and with at least one weight-related medical problem. Most people will have to take the drugs their entire life or they will gain their weight back. The weight-loss medicines  should be used in combination with regular exercise and a low-calorie diet.

These new diabetic and weight-loss drugs may be the answer to the obesity epidemic in the United States. More than 40% of Americans, 100 million adults and 15 million children, are obese, putting them at risk for the development of high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]