“The people of North Carolina need and deserve affordable, high-quality health care.”

Caring for the citizens of North Carolina is our moral right.   The state has a responsibility to ensure that our health care system consistently provides the highest quality of care so that the people of North Carolina may lead more productive, healthier, and happier lives.  As governor I will do this by:

• Re-instate child health care tax credit.
  In 2001 Governor Easley and state legislators repealed the child health care tax credit used to provide affordable health insurance for the children of North Carolina.  Now North Carolina has an estimated 240,000 children who are uninsured.  Under my administration, I will work to get this tax credit re-instated so parents can again afford to get health insurance for their children.

• Reduce Frivolous Lawsuits.
  By capping non-economic damages in malpractice lawsuits we can improve patient care by expanding doctor access and reducing the practice of defensive medicine (which increases costs through needless exams and testing).  In addition, we can quickly lower insurance premiums.  For example, once Illinois enacted a $500,000 cap on non-economic damages, many health insurance companies rolled back their premiums – one company reduced rates by 32% within two years.  

• Tax Credits for the Uninsured.
  Workers with employer-provided health insurance don't pay taxes on the money their employers spend on premiums. And the self-employed get a 100 percent tax deduction. But workers without employer-provided coverage get no help at all.  By giving a tax credit to these hard-working people, we will be able to increase the number of North Carolinians who are insured.

• Reform failed reform.
  The current mess of our mental health system can be traced back to the “reform” measures backed by Governor Easley in 2001.  Unfortunately, these “reforms” have wasted millions of taxpayer dollars, decreased community care, and left our mental health system without accountability.  We need to establish citizen councils to review contracts and certify nonprofits; stop closing hospitals and reducing the state’s number of beds available to mental health patients;  work with providers and Local Management Entities (LME’s) to meet the needs of local communities for short term care; provide new leadership to help citizens with developmental disabilities, substance abuse, and mental illness to lead productive lives in local communities; and establish clear priorities that will re-introduce accountability, allow interagency coordination, and bring care to those who need it. 

• Reduce State Mandates.
  State mandates increase the cost of health insurance.  Unfortunately, North Carolina has 47 private insurance mandates that are estimated to increase insurance premiums by more than 41 percent.  In addition, these mandates tend to dis-proportionately affect small businesses and individuals.  We need to reduce these mandates to make health insurance more affordable.

• Improve Medicaid.
  Medicaid needs to be improved so that it helps more people more efficiently.  I do this by placing more emphasis on preventive medicine and wellness programs; permitting Medicaid recipients to opt-out of the program in favor of private policies without mandates; working with medical professionals, the legislature, and the federal government to find ways to modernize Medicaid.  This health care crisis is national in scope, and North Carolina needs to be in the forefront of reform that is based on free enterprise.