NC Policy Watch: The Devil’s in the Details- Health and Human Services

Legislative leaders announced their intent to cut $592 million from the state’s health and human services budget next year, which is $372 million more than the $212 million in FY11-12 cuts proposed in the Governor’s budget. To put the legislature’s proposal in perspective, the state’s $4.9 billion health and human services budget is second only to the $11.9 billion total state education budget. Over two-thirds of all state health and human services spending is used to provide medical assistance for low-income children and families, pregnant women, and aged, blind, and disabled individuals.[1] In addition, approximately 79% of state appropriations to health & human services are used to draw down millions in federal funding[2], making state spending in this category one of the best-leveraged investments state government can choose to make.

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