(The Center Square) – Registrations for Medicaid in North Carolina since its launch on Dec. 1, 2023, has risen above 650,000, multiple state agencies said Wednesday.
Just over 377,000 of those have come since the automatic enrollments of the first day.
A release says overdoses have decreased; visits to emergency departments are down 29%; and overdose deaths are down 27% from 2023 to 2024. The state said 1 in 3 of all newly eligible, about 233,000, are from rural communities and would not have access to health care otherwise.
The release says 6.1 million prescriptions have been filled for the new enrollments, including for heart problems, diabetes and seizures. Dental service claims are $86 million.
More than 270,000 of the total announced enrolled came from an automatic action on Day 1. That nearly 42% were part of the family planning population, and 75% of those (205,847) were in urban areas.
There are an estimated 3.1 million enrolled in Medicaid in the state. The expansion enabled the eligible population to increase to ages 19-64 with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level.
In a release, state Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai said, “From a regular checkup, to specialized care for a chronic condition, to filling a prescription without worrying about high co-pays, getting health coverage is life-changing for people in every county. North Carolina Medicaid helps North Carolinians stay healthy, avoid missing work and enjoy time with their loved ones.”
The Old North State became the 41st in the nation to expand since authorization in 2014. The road there was fraught with strong political fights by Republicans in opposition and Democrats in favor.
Expansion had been former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s top priority since winning office in November 2016. It happened in the 2023 long session through House Bill 76 in March, passing the Senate 44-2 and the House 87-24, contingent on enactment of the state budget.
Cooper was opposed to several parts of the budget and allowed the bill to become law without his signature after 10 days.
