x
Breaking News
More () »

'A real shame' | Expanded Medicaid coverage for 600,000 in limbo

On Flashpoint, the state's top health official calls on the General Assembly to act

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — While state lawmakers continue to hammer out details of this year's budget, health insurance coverage for hundreds of thousands of people hangs in the balance.

"It's tragic, that we're willing to run it up to the line here and risk hundreds of thousands of people of losing access to care and not getting access to care," Kody Kinsley, NC Secretary of Health and Human Services, said on WCNC's Flashpoint.

For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app and enable push notifications.

In March, a bipartisan group of lawmakers passed Medicaid expansion, capping a decade of debate over whether the closely politically divided state should accept the federal government's coverage for hundreds of thousands of low-income adults.

There are now only 10 states in the U.S. that haven't adopted the expansion. 

But lawmakers tied the expansion to the state budget, which is still being debated. House Speaker Tim Moore indicated the debate will extend into September. Kinsley hoped to launch the expansion on Oct. 1, but said he'd need authority to start the process by Sept. 1. More delays, he argued, would push expansion back to December at the earliest.

"I think it's a real shame that lawmakers are willing to forego hundreds of millions of dollars of federal resources coming in North Carolina," Kinsely said.

You can stream WCNC Charlotte on Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV, just download the free app.

Barring imminent agreement on the budget, Kinsley is encouraging lawmakers to "decouple" the Medicaid expansion from the budget, passing them during separate votes. 

Contact Ben Thompson at bthompson@wcnc.com and follow him on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

FLASHPOINT PODCAST

Flashpoint is a weekly in-depth look at politics in Charlotte, North Carolina, South Carolina, and beyond with host Ben Thompson. Listen to the podcast weekly. 
SUBSCRIBEApple Podcasts || Spotify || Stitcher || Google Podcasts 

All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere. 

Before You Leave, Check This Out