Coalition starts bid to expand Medicaid in North Carolina

CHARLOTTE, NC (AP) — A coalition of groups is beginning an effort to expand Medicaid in North Carolina despite opposition from Republican lawmakers in the General Assembly.

The Charlotte Observer reports the various group gathered for a news conference Wednesday to outline their plans. The group cited a study by George Washington University which said expansion would create 43,000 jobs by 2020 and add over $1 billion in state and local tax revenue.

Republican Gov. Pat McCrory has suggested he may be open to Medicaid expansion. But GOP lawmakers say they’re not sure the state can afford it after the federal payments decline.

North Carolina NAACP President the Rev. William Barber said it’s time for legislators to “put down their talking points (and) stop playing Russian roulette with people’s lives.”

Information from: The Charlotte Observer, http://www.charlotteobserver.com

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