Launch date for NC Medicaid expansion set for Dec. 1

Better healthcare options are on the horizon for hundreds of thousands of people across North Carolina.

Medicaid expansion will go live on Dec. 1, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper governor said, providing free health insurance for the state's working poor.

On Monday, Governor Roy Cooper and the Department of Health and Human Services shared the long-awaited announcement the expansion. The announcement came just days after lawmakers approved the new budget.

"Make no mistake, this has been an unnecessarily long and agonizing journey for many North Carolinians," Cooper said. "But today, the hope that has stirred in so many across our state, will become a reality."

Medicaid expansion would have launched Oct. 1 if budget negotiations didn’t draw out through the summer. Gov. Cooper called the measure "life-saving healthcare for North Carolinians."

On Friday, Cooper shared he will allow the budget to become law without his signature, opening up the doorways for Medicaid expansion for around 600,000 North Carolinians.

More than 200,000 of those impacted are in Wake County.

DHHS anticipates approximately 300,000 eligible people currently receiving Medicaid Family Planning benefits will automatically be enrolled in full health care coverage. The expansion increases the eligible population to adults aged 19 to 64 who have incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level.

Commissioner Matt Calabria spokes with WRAL News earlier this summer when the county had to add more positions to prepare for the influx of applications, saying, "The bottom line is that access to health care is critical. We know it has a ton of benefits it realizes savings in other areas. It allows health care providers to make ends meet it creates a healthier workforce and even saves lives in the long run."

President Joe Biden also endorsed the move and spoke in support of Cooper.

"I applaud Governor Cooper and the bipartisan elected officials who have made North Carolina the 40th state to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act," Biden said. "Thanks to their leadership, 600,000 North Carolinians will finally have access to affordable, quality coverage under Medicaid – many for the first time in their lives. The expansion will also benefit rural hospitals across the state and invest in critical mental health resources. I commend Governor Cooper for his years of leadership fighting to get this monumental step forward for North Carolina families done. Every day my Administration works to bring down the cost of health care for all Americans, and I’ll continue to urge leaders, especially those in states who have not yet expanded Medicaid, to join our efforts."