News Briefs: North Carolina Lawmakers Strike Deal to Expand Medicaid

Legislative leaders in North Carolina have struck a deal to expand Medicaid in the state, although the measure won’t be voted on until later this month at the earliest. During a news conference on March 2, state House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger, both Republicans, touted the agreement as a major accomplishment for North Carolina, which is one of 11 states that has not yet expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act. “What a huge policy direction this is that will provide help for so many in this state, but it’s going to do it in a way that’s fiscally responsible,” Moore said, according to the Associated Press. Under the agreement, which was still being drawn up at press time, the state’s 10% share of covering the Medicaid expansion population would be paid through assessments on hospitals. Previously, the Urban Institute estimated that expanding Medicaid could reduce the uninsured population by 30%, or 346,000 people, in North Carolina.

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