It's not often that a Congressman issues a press release about the state budget.
But U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield said today that the House budget approved last night does not give enough Medicaid relief for North Carolina's counties.
The budget includes a one-time $100 million payment to the 100 counties.
But Butterfield, a Wilson Democrat, said North Carolina is one of only a handful of states that require counties to pay part of the federal health insurance program for the poor:
"This problem has reached a crisis for many poor counties," Butterfield said. "It's reached a point where the most basic services, such as education and public safety, are suffering in the communities that can least afford to go without. Under the current system, the poorest counties will only become poorer and fall further behind."
