News

Notifications begin rolling out for newly eligible NC Medicaid enrollees

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) began sending out letters last week to up to 300,000 people who are enrolled in Medicaid’s limited Family Planning program and now qualify for full NC Medicaid benefits starting Dec. 1 thanks to Medicaid expansion that was passed earlier this year by the General Assembly and fully became law with the passage of the state budget in September.

Theresa Opeka
News

Medicaid Expansion to begin in NC on Dec 1

Gov Roy Cooper and NCDHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley announced Monday that Medicaid expansion will begin on Dec. 1. This will add hundreds of thousands of working-age, able-bodied adults to the state's Medicaid program, making it the largest single expansion of an entitlement program in state history.

Theresa Opeka
News

Cooper’s budget proposal spends on raises, clean energy, Leandro

Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper unveiled what he called his “First in Opportunity” budget at a press conference Wednesday, proposing to spend $32.95 billion in the first year of the biennium and $34.23 billion in the second year. The budget keeps $7 billion in reserve and doesn’t raise taxes, but halts some planned tax cuts.

Theresa Opeka

Help Support Non-profit Journalism & Donate Today

News

Berger weighs in on Medicaid expansion, abortion limits, and next week’s Leandro arguments

Talks about Medicaid expansion in North Carolina continue between members of both the House and Senate with no imminent solution. N.C. Senate Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, addressed that issue, along with abortion laws and the latest on court cases, including Voter ID, and Attorney General Josh Stein at a press conference Tuesday.

Theresa Opeka
News

N.C. Senate passes Medicaid expansion 44-2

Expanding Medicaid in North Carolina passed a hurdle Wednesday afternoon as the N.C. Senate voted 44 to 2 to pass H.B. 149 Expanding Access to Healthcare. “What we are going to do is monumental,” said Sen. Mike Woodard, D-Durham. In addition to Medicaid expansion, the bill contains the partial repeal of some Certificate of Need or CON laws and the SAVE Act.

Theresa Opeka
News

Governor’s new health care group has tough time getting past Medicaid barrier

Gov. Roy Cooper is still selling Medicaid expansion, but Republican lawmakers still aren’t buying.  The first meeting of the bipartisan N.C. Council for Health Care Coverage fractured into a partisan divide over expanding Medicaid. Cooper spent hours pushing for Medicaid expansion, but Republican lawmakers declared themselves disappointed in his focus.  Cooper formed the N.C. Council...

Julie Havlak
News

Cooper’s plan to expand Medicaid relies on bad math, JLF report finds

Gov. Roy Cooper’s price tag for Medicaid expansion could be off by as much as $171.3 million, a report by the John Locke Foundation says. Medicaid expansion has dominated Cooper’s fights with the Republican legislature. Cooper’s pitch comes in the form of a moral imperative: Cover uninsured people who are suffering without medical care, and...

Julie Havlak
News

COVID-19 shutdowns swell ranks of the uninsured, and Medicaid expansion offers no immediate relief

Brandon has three little girls, no job, and no health insurance.  His company launched mass furloughs just weeks after North Carolina shut down its economy over the coronavirus pandemic. Brandon’s job didn’t last long, and his health insurance became a casualty.  Brandon is familiar with the risk of being uninsured. Years ago, he racked up...

Julie Havlak
View more