NC Medicaid program having cost-control delays

Perdue: NC Medicaid program spending over budget (Added: December 01, 2009)

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Gov. Beverly Perdue says North Carolina's Medicaid program is breaking the budget the Legislature gave state officials this summer. (more)

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NC Medicaid program having cost-control delays

By: By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press Writer | WNCT
Published: December 01, 2009

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina's health and human services secretary says the Medicaid program is having trouble meeting budget because it's been unable to implement cost-saving measures fast enough.
Secretary Lanier Cansler said Tuesday the state's portion of the government health insurance program for poor families and the disabled is $160 million over budget so far this fiscal year.
The department attributes much of the problem to higher-than-expected enrollment and flu-related treatments. But Cansler said many Medicaid program cost controls won't be implemented until Jan. 1 due to federal approval delays.
Cansler said he's hopeful expenditures will level out the rest of the fiscal year. But he said Medicaid could still be $200 million over budget by next June.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)