North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has signed a Medicaid expansion law that was a decade in the making.
The bill, which passed with bipartisan support earlier this month, will expand Medicaid coverage to an estimated 634,000 low-income adults in North Carolina who currently lack health insurance. The expansion is expected to cost the state $50 million annually, but supporters say it will ultimately save money by reducing uncompensated care costs and improving overall public health outcomes.
"This is a historic day for our state," said Gov. Cooper at the signing ceremony on Thursday. "Expanding access to healthcare is not just the right thing to do, it's also smart policy that will benefit all North Carolinians."
The move makes North Carolina the latest state to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), following Virginia and Maine last year. However, unlike those states, North Carolina's expansion was achieved through legislative action rather than a voter referendum or executive order.
The legislation faced opposition from some Republicans who argued that expanding Medicaid would burden taxpayers and lead to increased government spending on entitlement programs.
"Medicaid expansion may sound good in theory, but we have serious concerns about its long-term fiscal impact," said Senate Leader Phil Berger in a statement after the bill passed earlier this month.
However, advocates for expanding Medicaid argue that it will provide vital healthcare coverage for thousands of low-income individuals who are currently uninsured or underinsured.
"Today's signing of this bill marks an important step forward for healthcare access and equity in our state," said Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. "We look forward to working with our partners across North Carolina as we implement this critical policy change."