On Tuesday, Democrat lawmakers in the North Carolina House and Senate filed bills to expand Medicaid to meet parameters set by the Affordable Care Act, the federal healthcare reform bill that became law on March 23, 2010. The Affordable Care Act aimed to reduce the number of uninsured by providing access to a health insurance marketplace for middle income Americans, and by expanding Medicaid to help with those American below 133% of the Federal Poverty Level.

According to Indy Week “At a press conference, Buncombe County Sen. Terry van Duyn and Reps. Gale Adcock, Wake, and Carla Cunningham, Mecklenburg, emphasized the economic benefits to the state of Medicaid expansion. ”

It has been estimated by various sources that expansion of Medicaid in North Carolina would provide low to no cost health coverage to an additional 500,000 residents, most of which are presumed currently uninsured.

As reported by the Charlotte Observer in January, 2015, Governor McCrory has stated that he would be open to a waiver requiring a job or job training for Medicaid expansion beneficiaries.

As always, NChealthconnector.org is your leading source for North Carolina Health Plan information. Stay tuned for more news!