Medicaid Expansion

The number of people who have enrolled in Medicaid in North Carolina since expansion began in December is now over 310,000. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper offered that figure on Wednesday while at a Raleigh event with the nation’s chief Medicaid regulator to talk about expansion and those getting other subsidized insurance offered through the Affordable Care Act.

State authorities say they’re getting complaints from consumers about health plans they never signed up for and bills for medical equipment they never used. These scams can be detrimental to the legal status of immigrant residents.

Medicaid expansion goes live in North Carolina today, opening up the government-run health insurance program to hundreds of thousands of low income adults.

Increased reimbursement for psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, substance use treatment professionals and others may lead more of them to accept Medicaid — expanding access to care for state residents.

North Carolina legislators passed — and Gov. Roy Cooper signed — a Medicaid expansion law earlier this year. The move will bring health insurance to some 600,000 low-income North Carolinians beginning Dec. 1. For some patients and providers, expansion can’t come soon enough.

With the expansion of Medicaid next month, North Carolina is getting a big check from the federal government. State lawmakers plan to spend more than a billion dollars on mental healthcare, training doctors and nurses — and a few projects that don’t relate to health.

Federal regulators have given their final approval for North Carolina to begin offering Medicaid to hundreds of thousands of low-income adults on Dec. 1.

For a few hours this week, it seemed like Medicaid expansion would not become a reality in North Carolina. But with final votes on the state budget expected before the weekend, health equity advocates are again optimistic.

House and Senate leaders are considering passing two bills: one with the budget, and one that launches Medicaid expansion and casinos.

N.C. Department of Health and Human Services will have to delay the expansion of Medicaid. Secretary Kody Kinsley says this delay comes because the General Assembly has not yet passed a budget.