NASW-NC Celebrates Passage of Medicaid Expansion

RALEIGH — The National Association of Social Workers North Carolina (NASW-NC) is thrilled that Medicaid expansion has passed in North Carolina and is now on the desk of Governor Roy Cooper to sign into law. Governor Cooper is expected to sign Medicaid Expansion into law on Monday, March 27.

NASW-NC has worked with social work members, legislators, and many partner organizations for over a decade to get this important legislation passed and to help the people of North Carolina live healthier lives. With passage of House Bill 76, more than 600,000 North Carolinians will now have access to healthcare.

Expanding Medicaid will bring an estimated $8 billion in federal funding to North Carolina each year. The federal government pays 90% of the costs of Medicaid expansion. North Carolina also will draw down an additional $1.75 billion dollars in one-time federal funds if the state expands Medicaid.

NASW-NC Executive Director Valerie Arendt says, “We have been advocating tirelessly for over a decade for the hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians who have been unable to access health insurance. Health insurance saves lives. Thank you to the many state leaders and legislators who fought for North Carolinian’s health from the beginning and thank you to the many advocacy organizations who never gave up on better health for North Carolina. We have a lot of work ahead of us to ensure that North Carolina has an adequate network of mental health providers to serve the most vulnerable.”

Medicaid Expansion will be implemented only if the 2023-2024 budget is passed into law by the end of 2023. We will keep members updated as the House and Senate budgets are released in the coming weeks.