The Governor released his budget proposal to the NCGA on March 7, 2019.
Here are some highlights from the Health and Human Services portion.
Expand and Transform Medicaid
- Cover 626,000 additional individuals
- 500,000 individuals in the first year
- $5 Billion in direct spending into the state
- Transform Medicaid and Health Choice from fee for service to managed care by leveraging $268M of Medicaid Transformation Reserve
Pre-K and Early Childhood
- Funds 3,200 additional Pre-k slots
- $15 million for Smart Start Program (10% increase)
- $1.1 million additional funding to improve child welfare training
- $3 million additional to expand evidenced based family preservation services
Opioid Treatment
- $15 million of Medicaid funding to expand treatment for opioid use disorders
Healthier Families
- $1 million for local Food Banks
Youth Mental Health
- $40 million for flexible funding to hire school nurses, counselors, psychologists, social workers and school resource officers
Child Nutrition
- Eliminates student co-pay for reduced priced meals
- Provides free meals for up to an additional 115,000 ($5 million)
Broadband Connectivity
- $30 million to increase access and improve service to underserved households, businesses, and community anchor institutions
Water Supply
- $6.4 million in funding to support the identification and regulation of emerging compounds
Relocation of DHHS
- $258 million to relocate DHHS from Dorthea Dix Park