NC Senate passes proposed Medicaid expansion coverage bill

NORTH CAROLINA (WWAY) — A proposed bill that would expand Medicaid coverage across the state has passed in the North Carolina Senate and is a step closer to becoming law.

NC House Bill 76 would bring Medicaid to hundreds of thousands of citizens, including adults age 18 to 64 with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.

The bill also includes increased Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals.

North Carolina Medical Society CEO Chip Baggett is encouraged by the bill, but says the push for better Medicaid coverage shouldn’t end with its passage.

“We still have a long way to go, to making sure that we’re getting high quality affordable care for everyone,” Baggett said. “Just because Medicaid expansion passes doesn’t mean that everything is solved. So we’ve still got plenty of work to do to roll up our sleeves and make sure that North Carolina is the healthiest place to live and work in the United States, but we think that this is a significant step towards getting to that place.”

The bill also includes increased Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals through the healthcare access and stabilization program, and increased hospital assessments to provide funding for the NC Health Works coverage and the health access and stabilization program.

The senate approved the bill last week.

If the house gives the green light to the changes the senate made to the bill, it could head to the governor’s desk soon.