美国国家公共电台 NPR--North Carolina governor signs Medicaid expansion bill into law

North Carolina governor signs Medicaid expansion bill into law

Transcript¹

The Republican-controlled legislature had voted to expand Medicaid. One motivation to finally accept Obamacare in the state, was the need for more money in the health care system.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

In North Carolina, about 600,000 residents will soon be eligible² for health insurance coverage³ through the Affordable⁴ Care Act. The state became the 40th in the country to fully⁵ expand Medicaid, and that was approved by a Republican legislature. Colin Campbell of member station WUNC in Raleigh reports more red states could follow North Carolina.

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ROY COOPER: We have a Medicaid expansion bill.

COLIN CAMPBELL, BYLINE⁶: Democratic Governor Roy Cooper held an outdoor bill signing Monday afternoon in the gardens of the governor's mansion⁷. Republican state House and Senate leaders stood beside him as he signed the bill into law.

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COOPER: And thank you to the Republican legislative⁸ leaders who ultimately approached this issue with a willingness to change their minds to find a solution that worked for North Carolina.

CAMPBELL: For more than a decade, North Carolina's Republicans opposed expanding Medicaid. They cited cost overruns in their existing Medicaid program, and they worried that Congress might repeal⁹ the Affordable Care Act and leave states stuck with the bill. Tim Moore is the speaker of the House who had opposed expansion.

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TIM MOORE: For years and years, we resisted expansion because we saw the prospects¹⁰ that the state's cost could easily triple, that it could be a runaway¹¹ budget.

CAMPBELL: But none of that happened. Instead, the federal government sweetened the pot. A big factor for North Carolina leaders is that expansion now comes with a $1.8 billion signing bonus. Paired with another federal program, officials estimate North Carolina will get an $8 billion injection for health care. House Speaker Moore says that makes the math work.

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MOORE: Now it stays within budget.

CAMPBELL: Hospitals say it's a game changer in a state where many rural hospitals are struggling, and some have closed. Nicholle Karim is with the North Carolina Healthcare Association.

NICHOLLE KARIM: This money is going to be a lifeline for hospitals.

CAMPBELL: And while North Carolina Republicans changed their minds on fully embracing Obamacare, ten other GOP-dominated states continue to be holdouts. Most are in the South, including Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. Political scientist Chris Cooper with Western Carolina University says that could change.

CHRIS COOPER: I think it makes sense that some of our neighboring states might look at North Carolina and see, hey, you can change your mind, and you can still keep your electoral fortune.

CAMPBELL: He points to other Republican states like South Dakota, where voters decided¹² to expand Medicaid.

COOPER: So this is the rare kind of issue that's becoming less partisan¹³ over time.

CAMPBELL: Those who want to take advantage of the Medicaid expansion still have to wait a few more months. The law takes effect only after the state enacts¹⁴ its annual budget. That's expected to happen this summer.

For NPR News, I'm Colin Campbell in Raleigh.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

3 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

4 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

8 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

9 repeal   

n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消

参考例句：

• He plans to repeal a number of current policies.他计划废除一些当前的政策。
• He has made out a strong case for the repeal of the law.他提出强有力的理由，赞成废除该法令。

10 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

11 runaway   

n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的

参考例句：

• The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
• He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。

12 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

13 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

14 enacts   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The legislative branch enacts laws; the executive branch enforces them, and the judicial branch interprets them. 立法部门制订法律，行政部门执行法律，司法部门解释法律。
• Hold phasic characteristic correctly, ability enacts the policy with an actual suit, measure. 正确地把握形势特点，才能制定出切合实际的政策、措施。