It’s been one year since Medicaid expansion in the state of North Carolina went into effect last December — widening eligibility to include those making up to 138% of the federal poverty level.
That's about $20k/year for a single person or a little over $34,000 for a family of three.
Before Medicaid expansion, there were almost one million uninsured people in North Carolina. The state's Department of Health and Human Services was targeting 600,000 people for coverage, but in the one year since Medicaid expansion took effect, over 590,000 people have joined the rolls, a number that the state expected would take closer to two years to meet.
The fight for Medicaid expansion in the state was more than a decade in the making. North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore sued Governor Roy Cooper for his efforts to expand Medicaid back in 2017 before voting in favor of the program in 2023 – and it’s not over yet.
North Carolina is one of 12 states with “trigger” laws that would automatically end Medicaid expansion if the incoming Trump administration chooses to cut federal funding.
We take a look at the difference that Medicaid expansion has made in the lives of North Carolinians, discuss the state’s outreach to the newly qualified, and whether we can expect changes to the program in Trump’s second term.
GUESTS:
Jaymie Baxley, reporter at NC Health News
Kody Kinsley, secretary of the N.C. department of Health and Human Service
Natalie Marles, health insurance navigator project manager at Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy
