NC lawmakers approve $319M Medicaid funding bill, send it to Stein

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina lawmakers on Tuesday approved HB 696, a measure that allocates $319 million to fund Medicaid through June after months of negotiations between the House, Senate, and Gov. Josh Stein’s office.

The bill passed nearly unanimously in both chambers, clearing a major hurdle in efforts to maintain Medicaid funding. Its passage followed prolonged disagreements over the timing and structure of the funding plan, as Stein’s office had repeatedly urged lawmakers to act.

Democratic lawmakers raised objections to language in the bill they said would harm immigrant communities. They cited concerns from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, which said the provision could affect care for nearly 27,000 women and children statewide. Republicans disputed that interpretation

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