I’ve gotten lots of questions about health insurance coverage available to state politicians after we published the below picture showing NC Governor Pat McCrory and three members of NC’s part-time General Assembly at the bill signing rejecting billions of dollars from the federal Affordable Care Act for expanding Medicaid to 500,000 North Carolinians.
NC’s Governor, a full-time state employee, can get the comprehensive 70/30 state health plan for free or, if he choses to pay $22.76 a month he can get lower cost sharing in the same plan (80/20). The legislators pictured, Rep Justin Burr (R), Rep Marilyn Avila (R), and Rep Mark Hollo (R) have a very special deal because they are legislators. In North Carolina, being a legislator is a part-time job – the General Assembly meets about six months every other year with a short three month session in off years. Unlike any other part-time state employee, the legislators pictured all get the same deal as the Governor and other full time state employees – either receive free coverage or pay $22.76 per month and have lower out-of-pocket costs. Currently 80% to 90% of legislators take this great deal. Too bad they couldn’t bother to provide 500,000 poor North Carolinians with needed health coverage as well.
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