• The N.C. House budget calls for close to $3.5 million in Medicaid relief for Columbus County. It is now up to the Senate to keep it there.

By NICOLE CARTRETTE
Staff Writer

Columbus County will spend an estimated $6.5 million on Medicaid in 2007-08 but a budget proposal that passed the N.C. House in the early morning hours Friday could change all of that.

Columbus County stands to gain nearly $3.5 million in targeted Medicaid relief under the budget that passed the N.C. House on May 11 at 12:10 a.m.

“Several of us kept pushing for more relief,” Rep. Dewey Hill said of an amendment that calls for $100 million in relief statewide. The original budget proposal included only $60 million in relief for counties statewide.

“We’ve got to keep this in (the budget) in the Senate,” Hill said of the appropriations bill that now goes to the Senate and will ultimately be decided and amended in joint committees between the two houses.

“This is so important,” Hill explained. “It’s (Medicaid costs) really hurting the counties.” He added that there were projects in the budget that he feels are not as important. “This Medicaid is a number one priority.”

“This is a significant step in the right direction and an indicator that our legislators really do want to provide Medicaid relief to our counties,” David Thompson, executive director of the N.C. Association of County Commissioners said in a press release.

Only Robeson County, facing more than $15 million in Medicaid costs next year, would receive more relief than Columbus.

The legislation appropriates $100 million statewide and calls for $50 million to be allocated to all counties. An additional $40 million goes to counties like Columbus with more that 25 percent of the population Medicaid eligible, and the remaining $10 million to counties with a 20 percent or greater Medicaid population.

Slightly less than 33 percent of Columbus County’s population is Medicaid eligible, according to the state fiscal research division data.

The proposed county budget, to be presented at a special recessed meeting tonight at 6 p.m., includes $5.4 million for Medicaid.

County Manager Jim Varner said Wednesday he had not been notified of any potential Medicaid relief the county can expect at the state level.

“I cannot and will not change anything in the budget until I have something in stone,” Varner said.