How many parents would sign up for Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue's health plan?
In her cost estimates for insuring parents, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate relies on figures from the N.C. Institute of Medicine that estimate 30 percent of eligible parents would sign up.
Her rival, state Treasurer Richard Moore, estimates 100 percent would enroll in her plan.
The difference is one reason why his estimate for her health care plan for uninsured parents is nearly six times as high as Perdue's own numbers.
Adam Searing, a health care advocate for the N.C. Justice Center, says that it's unfair to assume everyone eligible would sign up.
"You will never get 100 percent of people to enroll," he said. "No state has ever done that. Even Massachussetts, which is making health insurance mandatory, isn't getting anywhere near that goal."
Because it includes monthly premiums and copays, Perdue's plan is closer to private insurance than Medicaid, he said. Since it is voluntary, many parents would spend their money elsewhere.
Moore has called for parents to be asked for their children's policy number on their state tax forms, but neither he nor Perdue have called for penalties for parents who do not sign up.
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Re: Who would sign up for Perdue's plan?
Dear Under the Dome,
Despite your best efforts, you're not helping everyday people see the differences between Perdue and Moore on health care and working families.
Perdue is offering a modest and incremental expansion of health coverage for all uninsured parents who have children eligible for Medicaid (Health Check) or SCHIP (Health Choice)
See the Mercer costs estimates for yourself: http://www.nciom.org/projects/uninsured/Jun24_Mercer.pdf
Moore incorrectly assumes that Perdue is offering a "full" Medicaid expansion to all uninsured parents between 38% and 200% of the FPL. On my read, she is not. Perdue is offering a more modest Medicaid benefit to these uninsured parents and phasing that coverage in over several years.
Even if she expanded Medicaid "light" coverage to all these uninsured parents in year 1, the total cost would be under $100 million. The assumption about enrollment (not who but how many) is based on actuarial assumptions. It would take her entire two terms as Governor to reach the Moore $700 million estimate.
If Moore has a plan and a positive vision on how to improve the health of North Carolina's working poor families, child health care advocates are ready and waiting. As of now, Moore looks like Bush and Liddy Dole "light."