Source: AP News
More than 500,000 North Carolina residents have enrolled in the state’s Medicaid expansion program since its launch about seven months ago, officials announced recently.
Governor Roy Cooper, accompanied by North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley and two healthcare professionals, held a news conference to celebrate the enrollment milestone. The initial goal was to enroll 600,000 people in the Medicaid expansion over two years, Cooper noted.
As of Friday morning, the number of enrollees stood at 503,967, according to the governor’s office.
Expanding Medicaid has been a primary objective for Cooper since he took office in 2017. The plan to expand eligibility received bipartisan support from state legislators last year and began on December 1st. Nearly 300,000 people signed up within the first few weeks. Under the 2010 Affordable Care Act, the federal government covers 90% of the cost.
“We never, ever, ever gave up. And that’s why we’re standing here today,” Cooper said.
Nearly 2 million prescriptions have been filled for new Medicaid enrollees, many treating chronic conditions such as seizures and heart diseases, Kinsley said at the news conference. There has also been an increase in dental service claims under Medicaid due to the expansion.
“We’re not just getting people covered. We are getting people care,” Kinsley said.
He also emphasized the need to increase provider rates in the Medicaid program, which was included in Cooper’s budget proposal this year.
