Displaying items by tag: benefits
Postpartum coverage extended to 12 months for N.C. Medicaid beneficiaries beginning April 1
RALEIGH — Medicaid postpartum health care coverage will be extended from 60 days to 12 months for eligible people in North Carolina beginning April 1, 2022. Medicaid will also provide 12 months of continuous postpartum coverage to eligible people who are currently pregnant or gave birth between Feb. 1, 2022, and March 31, 2022.
Late COVID unemployment checks tangled in red tape, according to new state audit
RALEIGH — Nearly half a billion dollars in first-time unemployment benefits in North Carolina were not paid out in a timely manner during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s according to an audit released from State Auditor Beth Wood’s office on Monday. The Division of Employment Security didn’t issue $438 million of first unemployment benefit payments during the period of Jan. 1, 2020, through March 31, 2021.
State Supreme Court rules government retirees had contractual health care right
RALEIGH — The N.C. Supreme Court has ruled, 4-2, that 220,000 state government retirees had a contractual right to premium-free health care benefits that had been promised to them. Now a trial court will have to determine whether state changes to those benefits a decade ago violated the contract.
Global supply shortages and shipping delays affect Food and Nutrition Services recertification forms
RALEIGH — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced due to global shortages and delays in shipments it was unable to include return envelopes in the monthly mailing of the Food and Nutrition Services recertifications for February. Return envelopes will likely not be included in the monthly mailings for March as well.
Rockingham Police investigating ID theft; state agency notices increase in suspected fraud
ROCKINGHAM — Police are investigating at least three recent cases of suspected identity theft within the city limits all reported on the same day.
Food and Nutrition Services benefits to increase by 25% starting Oct. 1
RALEIGH — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced households enrolled in the Food and Nutrition Services program will see their benefits increase by 25% beginning Oct. 1, 2021, as part of a national re-evaluation of benefit amounts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. More than 1.6 million people are enrolled in FNS in North Carolina.
Republican Council of State members, Cooper clash over unemployment benefits
RALEIGH — Some Republican members of the N.C. Council of State used a meeting Tuesday, Aug. 3, to underscore the challenges employers face in finding workers because, at least in part, of generous unemployment benefit payments from the federal government.
House votes to cut off expanded $300-a-week unemployment benefits
RALEIGH — The state House has voted to make North Carolina the 26th state to withdraw from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, which provides an extra $300-a-week in jobless benefits to the unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
N.C. extends P-EBT food assistance benefits through summer to more than 1.2M children
RALEIGH — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced North Carolina has been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to continue the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer food assistance program through Summer 2021. The P-EBT program helps families with eligible children whose access to free or reduced-price meals at school or other food assistance has been impacted by COVID-19. Summer P-EBT is an extension of benefits for the 2020-2021 school year.
N.C. unemployed must now prove they are seeking work to continue benefits
RALEIGH — An executive order issued by Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday, May 21, requires recipients of unemployment benefits to prove they are searching for work to continue receiving benefits. The move makes North Carolina part of a growing number of states to reimplement the work-search requirement.