Chapel Hill Review

Governor Roy Cooper and Secretary Kody H. Kinsley of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services celebrated the commencement of Medicaid expansion. This initiative marks a significant development in healthcare coverage, providing over 600,000 new residents in North Carolina with comprehensive healthcare benefits.

Governor Roy Cooper, along with Secretary Kody H. Kinsley of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, celebrated the beginning of Medicaid expansion as stated by a press release from NC GOV. This milestone extends health coverage to more than 600,000 newly eligible residents in North Carolina via NC Medicaid. Among these beneficiaries, approximately half were previously recipients of restricted Medicaid Family Planning services but have now been automatically enrolled to obtain comprehensive health coverage through NC Medicaid without delay.

The extended Medicaid coverage will include individuals aged between 19 to 64 years old who have higher incomes, thus effectively closing the coverage gap for North Carolina's residents as stated in another press release by NC GOV. This particular expansion guarantees healthcare coverage for single individuals earning under $20,000 annually and for families of three whose combined income is less than $34,000. The role of Medicaid is to aid in paying for diverse medical services which include routine doctor visits, yearly check-ups, emergency care, mental health services among other things often at little or no cost for those enrolled.

The official launch of the expanded Medicaid was marked by Governor Cooper and Secretary Kinsley during an enrollment event at the Goodwill Opportunity Campus located in Charlotte as confirmed by a press release from NC GOV. This significant event was co-hosted by several organizations including the NC Navigator Consortium, Charlotte Community Health Clinic and the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy.