The head of the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, Aldona Wos, and other department leaders were grilled by lawmakers at an oversight committee meeting Tuesday in Raleigh.
Lawmakers and some members of the public questioned the department’s hiring policies, new payment systems and future plans for the state’s Medicaid program. Wos fielded tough questions from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle all day.
The hardest ones concerned high paying jobs for young political hires in the department and expensive hourly rates paid to consultants. Democratic Rep. Beverly Earle of Charlotte asked Wos about Thomas Adams, who was hired as the department’s chief of staff in March. He left after only one month, with a send off of $37,000.
Earle said, “Exempt employees don’t qualify for severance pay, so could you please explain to me how he was able to draw a severance pay?” Vos replied, “Representative, he did not receive severance pay.”
Earle then asked, “Well, what was the 37 thousand dollars for?”
“That was separation pay,” replied Wos.
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