The governor applauded North Carolina’s effort to relieve $4 billion in medical debt for 2 million residents that he says served as a model for other states.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On the first anniversary of Medicaid expansion in North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper celebrated the Tar Heel State’s commitment to providing health care to hundreds of thousands of people while also wiping out crippling medical debt for millions of residents.
Cooper was in Greenville Wednesday to give a speech celebrating Medicaid expansion’s impacts. During his remarks, Cooper emphasized the significance of health care options in rural communities and the state’s overall health landscape.
“We know that rural North Carolinians have been helped more by Medicaid expansion than anyone else,” Cooper said. “As I reach the end of my time as governor, I hold close to my heart the mission of getting people healthier.”
Cooper recounted the difficult journey to getting Medicaid expansion, including legal battles with the General Assembly when he first took office.
“It was never a given that we’d be able to expand Medicaid,” Cooper said, reflecting on how lawmakers went from filing lawsuits to signing the bill into law last December. He also recalled an encounter with a Charlotte woman who was impacted by Medicaid.
“There were tears in her eyes and there were tears in mine, too,” Cooper shared.
As for the economic impact, Cooper claimed that Medicaid expansion brings $521 million a month to North Carolina for health insurance. Over 600,000 people enrolled within the first year, something Cooper noted as a “remarkable accomplishment.”
“This was a dream a decade in the making that finally became a reality and also unlocked almost a billion dollars in new investments in mental health and addiction treatment that we know go hand-in-hand with staying healthy,” Cooper said.
Cooper also highlighted North Carolina’s pioneering effort to relieve $4 billion in medical debt for 2 million residents. The initiative is now serving as a model for other states, according to Cooper.
