White House calls for North Carolina to expand Medicaid
Republican legislative leaders and Gov. Pat McCrory said North Carolina could not afford to expand the state's Medicaid system in response to the Affordable Care Act. But in a conference call today, the White House and local Democratic leaders called on Republicans to reverse course, saying North Carolina would save money in the long run.
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"This is actually a net budgetary benefit to those states that choose to expand Medicaid," said Josh Earnest, principal deputy press secretary for President Barack Obama. Earnest, along with Durham Mayor Bill Bell and state Sen. Floyd McKissick, D-Durham, participated in a conference call with North Carolina-based reporters Monday.
All three pressed the point that expanding the health insurance program would allow 377,000 North Carolina residents to obtain coverage. Most would earn too much to qualify for the current Medicaid program but are too poor to qualify for health insurance subsidies offered under the Affordable Care Act.
Originally, the ACA, which some people call Obamacare, required states to expand coverage to those making up to 133 percent of the federal poverty line. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down that provision, making expansion optional, while keeping the bulk of the law in tact.
A spokeswoman for McCrory said Monday that the governor has not changed his position. Lawmakers have shown no signs of reversing course.
Earnest pointed out that other states with Republican governors, including Arizona and Ohio, have embraced expansion.
"Too often, we see partisan politics get in the way of good decision-making," Earnest said. "I'm not sure there is another explanation."
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