As reported in the Washington Post, Gov. McCrory says he is still open to expanding Medicaid if NC is first able to “fix the current system.”
In an interview on WFAE, Charlotte’s NPR affiliate, McCrory defended North Carolina’s refusal to expand existing Medicaid programs until fixes are made.
“We decided not to [expand the program] because first of all the existing Medicaid system in North Carolina is broken,” McCrory said. “I felt, before you expand something, why don’t you fix the services to those people in which Medicaid was originally designed.”
Asked directly whether North Carolina would ever expand Medicaid, McCrory said nothing is off the table: “I’m leaving that door open. Once we fix the current system, I have not closed that door as governor.”
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“What we’re trying to figure out is how we can get more waivers to adapt to what North Carolina needs. For example, if I expand Medicaid, can we do it in a strategic way instead of across the board?” McCrory said.
The state legislature passed a law last year preventing the state from accepting Medicaid expansion, so changing course in the future would likely require further legislative action.
This Manhattan Institute article provides some insights into why Medicaid expansion may not live up to the promises of advocates.
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