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Draft:Kody H. Kinsley

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Kody H. Kinsley
Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2022
GovernorRoy Cooper
Preceded byMandy Cohen
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Management
In office
July 2016 – March 2018
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byBrodi Fontenot
Succeeded byDavid F. Eisner
Personal details
BornJuly 3, 1985
Wilmington, North Carolina, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic Party (United States)
EducationBrevard College (BS)
University of California, Berkeley (MPP)

Kody H. Kinsley (born July 3, 1985) is an American public servant and public health official. He serves as the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS). He was the first openly gay cabinet secretary in North Carolina history.[1]

Kinsley is a Fellow in the Aspen Institute's Civil Society Fellowship.[2] He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at both the School of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Early life and education

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Kinsley is from Wilmington, North Carolina. He was the first in his family to graduate from college, obtaining a bachelor's degree from Brevard College in Brevard, NC. He went on to earn a Master of Public Policy degree from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley.[3]

Career

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Kinsley has held several positions in public service, including at the White House and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Human Services for Washington, D.C.[4]

In 2016, President Barack Obama appointed Kinsley to serve as the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Management. He continued in this role into President Donald Trump's administration.[4][5]

Kinsley then returned to North Carolina to serve as the Deputy Secretary for Behavioral Health at the NCDHHS. He was later promoted to the Chief Deputy Secretary for Health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he served as the Operations Lead for North Carolina’s COVID-19 response team.[6]

Secretary of North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services

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Governor Roy Cooper appointed Kinsley health secretary of the NCDHHS, an organization with nearly 18,000 employees and an annual budget of $38 billion.[7] He was unanimously confirmed by the North Carolina Senate on June 29, 2022.[8] During his tenure, Kinsley led the state's expansion of Medicaid, brokered a deal that relieved nearly $4 billion in medical debt, raised charity care standards, and secured $835 million in new behavioral health funding.[9][10][11][12]

Medicaid Expansion and Healthcare Access

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Kinsley led the expansion of Medicaid in North Carolina.[13] This effort, aimed at extending healthcare access to more than 600,000 uninsured residents, involved extensive collaboration with state legislators and healthcare stakeholders. The expansion reduced barriers to care and improved health outcomes for vulnerable populations. The state reached its two-year enrollment goal of 600,000 in just over a year.[14][15][16][17]

Kinsley emphasized the importance of Medicaid expansion in tackling health disparities, particularly in rural communities where access to healthcare services is limited.[18] Kinsley's work as secretary broadened insurance coverage and enhanced investments in both preventive care and behavioral health services.[19][20]

Medical Debt Relief

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Kinsley negotiated with both the federal government and state hospitals to develop create a comprehensive Medical Debt Relief and Reform Incentive Program. The final plan gives hospitals significantly more money through federal state directed payments, and in exchange, the hospitals agree to eliminating outstanding debts of low-income North Carolinians, updating their financial aid policies, and increasing medical billing transparency.[21][22] The plan received pushback from the state's hospitals and industry lobbying groups. However, in the end, all 99 hospitals in the state agreed to the terms by the August 9, 2024, deadline.[23][24][25]

Behavioral Health Funding

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North Carolina received $1.8 billion in "incentive payments" for expanding Medicaid as part of the American Rescue Plan.[26] Kinsley led negotiations with the Republican-led legislature to leverage this new funding for behavioral health, resulting in an $835 million investment in behavioral health care. This funding increased reimbursement rates for behavioral health services, enhanced crisis intervention systems, bolstered behavioral health services in schools, and expanded care for people involved with the justice system.[11][12]

LGBTQ+ Health

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Kinsley led a coalition of state health secretaries to call on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to update blood donation rules to allow sexually active gay and bisexual men to donate blood.[27] He donated blood in August 2023 after the FDA rules were changed and the American Red Cross updated their processes.[28]

He also led the state's efforts during the 2022-2023 mpox outbreak, which disproportionately affected the LGBTQ+ community. He publicly pushed for a more coordinated response to the epidemic.[29]

Hurricane Helene Relief

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Responding to Hurricane Helene, Kinsley coordinated healthcare and human services relief across the state. These initiatives included deploying mobile health clinics to affected areas, ensuring the continuity of Medicaid services, and addressing food insecurity for displaced families.[30]

Awards

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The State Employees Association of North Carolina (SEANC) awarded Kinsley the inaugural Unsung Hero Award in July 2020. The association said it recognized Kinsley because he prioritized the safety of employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, maintained clear and frequent communication with staff, and ensured employee concerns were integral to the decision-making process.[31]

Kinsley received the MPP Distinguished Award from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. The school celebrated Kinsley for his leadership in public health and his role in advancing Medicaid expansion and mental health funding in North Carolina. The award was presented at the Alumni Awards Banquet on September 13, 2024.[32]

The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD) gave Kinsley its first-ever Kerri Eaker Mountain Mover Award in November 2024. The award, celebrating the the legacy of Kerri Eaker, is given to individuals who have driven transformative systems change for the state's intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) community.[33]

Personal Life

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Kinsley is openly gay and has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion.[34]

References

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  1. ^ "Kody Kinsley to lead NCDHHS as first openly gay cabinet secretary in N.C. history". WBTV. 2021-11-30. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  2. ^ "User Profile: Kody Kinsley". AGLN - Aspen Global Leadership Network. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  3. ^ Evans, Jon (2024-03-01). "Kody Kinsley: From NC to DC and back, just in time for COVID and Medicaid expansion ("1on1 with Jon Evans" podcast)". WECT. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  4. ^ a b "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. 2016-06-29. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  5. ^ Woodruff, Sterling (2022-02-14). "Alumnus Reflects on Path from Student to Public Servant". Brevard College. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  6. ^ Bajpai, Avi (2021-11-30). "Who is Kody Kinsley, Gov. Cooper's next pick to lead the NC health department?". The News & Observer. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  7. ^ "Secretary Mandy Cohen to step down as DHHS Secretary, Governor Cooper selects current DHHS Deputy Secretary to lead department | NC Gov. Cooper". governor.nc.gov. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  8. ^ "Senate Resolution 761 (2021-2022 Session) - North Carolina General Assembly". www.ncleg.gov. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  9. ^ Baxley, Jamie. "Medicaid expansion for North Carolina will go into effect on Dec. 1". smokymountainnews.com. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  10. ^ "How North Carolina Made Its Hospitals Do Something About Medical Debt". American Association for Physician Leadership - Inspiring Change. Together. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  11. ^ a b "'Could have been doing this all along': State budget invests in mental health resources". 'Could have been doing this all along': State budget invests in mental health resources -. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  12. ^ a b "Behavioral Health Roadmap Kick-Off: Celebrating Historic Investments in Behavioral Health | NCDHHS". www.ncdhhs.gov. 2024-01-12. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  13. ^ Sherman, Lucille (2023-12-04). "North Carolina Republicans' Favorite Democrat". The Assembly NC. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  14. ^ "North Carolina Medicaid Expansion Approved". NCDHHS. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  15. ^ "After 1 year, Medicaid expansion in North Carolina nears its enrollment goal". ABC News. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  16. ^ Abrams, Amanda (2024-10-20). ""'A Win-Win-Win' for N.C.'s Healthy Opportunities Pilot"". The Assembly. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  17. ^ "N.C.'s Medicaid expansion hits enrollment goal about a year ahead of projections". spectrumlocalnews.com. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
  18. ^ WRAL (2024-01-23). "NC Medicaid expansion already helping rural areas, state health chief says". WRAL.com. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  19. ^ "Medicaid Expansion and Rural Health Equity". NC Health News. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  20. ^ "A Healthier North Carolina: Governor Cooper Celebrates Nearly 600,000 Enrolled in Medicaid Expansion and Other Major Health Care Accomplishments | NCDHHS". www.ncdhhs.gov. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  21. ^ "State Directed Payments | Medicaid". www.medicaid.gov. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
  22. ^ "State Spotlight: North Carolina's Comprehensive Medical Debt Relief and Reform Incentive Program" (PDF). State Health & Value Strategies. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
  23. ^ Raphael, Jada; Published, Elizabeth Hinton (2024-09-20). "North Carolina's Effort to Relieve Medical Debt". KFF. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  24. ^ Observer, Noam N. Levey, Ames Alexander, Charlotte (2024-09-23). "How North Carolina Made Its Hospitals Do Something About Medical Debt". KFF Health News. Retrieved 2024-12-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ Henkel, Clayton (2024-09-03). "Secretary of Health and Human Services Kody Kinsley on a landmark effort to erase medical debt • NC Newsline". NC Newsline. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  26. ^ "North Carolina's Expansion of Medicaid Should Serve as an Inspiration to Other States". Center for American Progress. 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
  27. ^ Bajpai, Avi (2022-03-13). ""End 'discriminatory' blood donation policy for gay men, new NC DHHS leader urges FDA"". The News & Observer. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  28. ^ Crumpler, Rachel (2023-08-08). "More gay and bisexual men can donate blood as donor eligibility policy catches up to science". North Carolina Health News. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  29. ^ "Opinion | When It Comes to Monkeypox, Destigmatize Care For LGBTQ People". POLITICO. 2022-08-25. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  30. ^ "Hurricane Helene Response". NCDHHS. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  31. ^ Carolina, State Employees Association of North (2024-12-15). "SEANC awards…". State Employees Association of North Carolina. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  32. ^ "2024 Goldman School of Public Policy Alumni Awards". Goldman School of Public Policy. 2024-09-13. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  33. ^ "NCCDD - NCCDD's 2024 Leadership Advocacy Award Recipients". nccdd.org. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  34. ^ Sherman, Lucille (2023-12-04). "Meet North Carolina Republicans' favorite Democrat: Kody Kinsley". Axios. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
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