Some Democrats in the General Assembly are again pushing for Medicaid expansion as state lawmakers debate emergency funding proposals during the pandemic.
A group of Democrats in the state House on Wednesday rolled out a bill that would repeal a law preventing North Carolina from expanding Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act.
In a video conference, state Representative Christy Clark of Mecklenburg County said the move would help low-income workers, many of whom have been deemed essential and are still working during the pandemic.
"Not just during these times but every day, people deserve the right to quality, affordable health care at a cost that will not break their bank or prevent them from seeking care at all," she said. "This is even more critical now as more than 800,000 workers in this state have lost their jobs, and for many of them, their health care with it."
Early drafts of the state House's emergency funding plan would put $40 million toward temporarily expanding Medicaid coverage during the pandemic.