Jordan Roberts, a health care policy analysts with the John Locke Foundation, said that expanding Medicaid will cost states more money. | Stock Photo
Jordan Roberts, a health care policy analysts with the John Locke Foundation, said that expanding Medicaid will cost states more money. | Stock Photo
While advocates of North Carolina joining with other states in Medicaid expansion argue there would be no cost to the state for the program, critics say that claim isn’t true.
In a July 24 opinion piece in the Carolina Journal, John Locke Foundation health care policy analyst Jordan Roberts said the claim there would be no additional cost for states is untrue. Beginning in 2020, the federal government will pay for 90% of the expanded Medicaid program, leaving states to pay for the remaining 10%.
Additionally, Roberts stated that Medicaid expansion cost overruns in other states have resulted in the total cost of the program reaching 157% of what was originally projected. In those instances, the state governments have had to make up the difference.
Roberts questioned the logic of “reclaiming” tax dollars for North Carolina given the $3.4 trillion federal deficit.
“There’s no money in Washington for North Carolina to bring home; we’re borrowing from future generations,” he said.
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