Leader Hall and Senator Berger agree that Medicaid is underfunded in North Carolina and needs additional funding this year. They also both agree on the exact same dollar figure needed to operate without significant cuts before next week’s deadline. However, instead of securing this funding, political infighting led both chambers to rush for the exit doors while all but ensuring Medicaid rate cuts in just 6 days.

Now, leadership in both chambers is trying their best to point fingers at each other for their inability to agree on this needed funding. Senator Berger is using this needed Medicaid funding to try and secure funding for projects he claims the former Republican leadership in the House agreed to in 2023. Leader Hall responded by trying to shift responsibility back to the Senate. At the end of the day, North Carolinians are the ones losing because of this political infighting.

“With less than one week until Medicaid has to cut rates because of the General Assembly’s underfunding, the Republican leaders in the legislature aren’t even pretending to care about North Carolinians. In just six days, the General Assembly’s neglect will force Medicaid to cut rates in North Carolina, causing many providers to stop accepting Medicaid and even cause some patients to be unable to access care. By leaving Raleigh before the deadline, Leader Hall and Senator Berger have made clear that they believe their political fight is more important than North Carolinian’s health care,” said Dawson McNamara-Bloom, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Democratic Party.