NC governor celebrates Medicaid expansion in the state

RALEIGH: Today, Governor Cooper joined Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to highlight the positive impacts of Medicaid expansion in North Carolina and record Affordable Care Act enrollment numbers. The Governor and Administrator participated in a conversation with health care navigators and outreach specialists followed by formal remarks celebrating Medicaid expansion and the record number of Americans enrolled in health care through the Affordable Care Act. As of Wednesday, over 20 million Americans have enrolled in health care through ACA marketplaces across the country.

"More than 311,000 North Carolinians have signed up for Medicaid Expansion and this number will continue to grow," said Governor Cooper. "We are grateful for federal partners like Administrator Brooks-LaSure and encourage everyone to check to see if they qualify for Medicaid or Marketplace Insurance under the Affordable Care Act to make sure they have the health care coverage they need."

"The encouraging marketplace enrollment numbers in North Carolina and across the country are the latest example of the powerful impacts of the Affordable Care Act," Administrator Brooks-LaSure said. "We are thrilled to share that as of today, over 20 million people are receiving critical care through ACA marketplaces across the nation. This is another example of how the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring people get the health care they need to be healthy."

"Medicaid expansion is changing North Carolina for the better, already improving the health of our communities, particularly in rural areas," said Debra Farrington, NC Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary for Health Equity. "Hundreds of thousands of people are now receiving comprehensive health coverage through Medicaid expansion and accessing critical health care services, like going to doctor when they are sick, having regular check-ups, getting regular screening for things like breast cancer or heart disease and can now afford their medications. We are grateful for Governor Cooper and Administrator Brooks-LaSure's leadership and support as we now focus on collaborating with our partners to make sure every North Carolinian who is eligible for Medicaid gets enrolled."

The Governor and Administrator participated in a conversation with North Carolina health care navigators and outreach specialists to hear firsthand about the impact of expansion and discuss how North Carolina can be an example for other states who have yet to expand Medicaid. A remarks portion followed during which beneficiaries, Administrator Brooks-LaSure and Governor Cooper celebrated Medicaid expansion in North Carolina and record enrollment numbers in ACA marketplaces across the country.

Following the launch of Medicaid expansion in December, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services launched a dashboard to track monthly enrollment in Medicaid for people eligible through expansion. The dashboard offers a detailed overview of enrollment trends in newly eligible adults ages 19-64 who can now apply for full health care coverage.

As of January 10, over 310,000 people have newly received care under Medicaid Expansion in North Carolina. On December 1, nearly 273,000 people enrolled and covered by Medicaid expansion, most of which were part of the family planning population who were automatically moved to full coverage. More than 600,000 North Carolinians are newly eligible for health coverage under expansion.