RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — In a roundtable discussion with rural hospital executives, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper increased pressure on Republican state senators to support legislation that would expand Medicaid coverage to uninsured adults who don't meet current requirements. A similar bill was proposed in 2017, but failed after GOP opposition.
Executives from seven hospitals joined the Democratic governor at the event and expressed support for the bill. They said expanding Medicaid would help them reduce the cost of uncompensated care associated with high uninsured rates in their rural communities.
The bill stands a good chance of passing in the House, but the challenge for Cooper is to drum up support from Senate Republicans. Democrats have broken the GOP super majority in both the House and Senate, giving Cooper is leveraging greater negotiation power.