After 13 years, Medicaid expansion passes the state legislature
NEWS COVERAGE. YOU CAN COME
HOME.
>> A BIG DAY. NEARLY 500,000
NORTH CAROLINIANS WHO HAVE BEEN
WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE WILL
SOON BE ABLE TO GET COVERAGE
TODAY STATE LAWMAKERS GAVE
FINAL APPROVAL TO MEDICAID
EXPANSION. THANKS FOR BEING
WITH US. I'M DAN HAGGERTY AND
I'M LENA TILLETT. MEDICAID
EXPANSION WILL MAKE HEALTH CARE
MORE AFFORDABLE FOR MORE
PEOPLE. TODAY'S VOTE IS
HISTORIC. IT HAS TAKEN 13 YEARS
FOR LAWMAKERS TO AGREE ON THIS.
>> AS THE SPEAKER READ THE
VOTE, HOUSE DEMOCRATS WHO HAVE
LONG SUPPORTED EXPANSION STOOD
AND APPLAUDED.
>> WELL, BILL WILL BE ENROLLED
AND SENT TO THE GOVERNOR.
>> MEMBERS NEXT GROUPING OF
BILLS TO 31.
WE KNOW WE DON'T APPLAUDED THE
PASSAGE OF ANY BILL THAT MATTER
HOW MUCH WE MIGHT LIKE IT OR
NOT.
>> MEANWHILE, A REPUBLICAN WHO
ALSO SUPPORTED EXPANDING
MEDICAID FOR YEARS AND WAS A
SPONSOR ON THIS VERSION OF THE
BILL SPOKE MOMENTS BEFORE THE
VOTE AND SIMPLY SAID THANK YOU,
GOVERNOR COOPER SAYS HE LOOKS
FORWARD TO SIGNING THE
LEGISLATION INTO LAW
>> WE'RE JOINED NOW BY WRAL'S
STATE GOVERNMENT REPORTER
TRAVIS FAIN WAS ON THE HOUSE
FLOOR DURING THIS HISTORIC VOTE
THAT HAPPENED THIS MORNING.
TRAVIS, THIS IS A VERY BIG
MOMENT AND IT'S TAKEN US YEARS
TO GET TO THIS POINT. YEAH,
ABSOLUTELY. 13 YEARS TO THE DAY
SINCE THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
BECAME LAW, THE FEDERAL LEVEL,
THAT'S THE LAW THAT AUTHORIZED
MEDICAID EXPANSION. AND NOW
NORTH CAROLINA IS THE 40TH
STATE TO APPROVE EXPANSION.
IT'S GOING TO BRING BILLIONS
OF DOLLARS INTO OUR HEALTH CARE
SYSTEM, COVER ALL THESE NEW
PEOPLE. MANY OF THEM ADULTS WHO
HAVE A JOB DON'T MAKE ENOUGH TO
BUY HEALTH INSURANCE. THE BILLS
ALSO PAIRED WITH A ROLLBACK IN
STATE HOSPITAL REGULATIONS
MEANT TO INCREASE COMPETITION.
BOOST THE OVERALL SUPPLY
HEALTHCARE. AS MORE PEOPLE GET
INSURANCE CARDS PRESUMABLY SEE
CARE. THIS IS A SEA CHANGE.
AFTER YEARS OF DRIVING THE
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, OBAMACARE
REPUBLICANS HAVE EMBRACED PART
OF IT. GOVERNMENT INSURANCE FOR
PEOPLE STRUGGLING TO AFFORD
THAT HEALTH INSURANCE. THERE IS
SOMETHING ELSE IN THIS BILL
THAT WE HAVE TO MENTION KIND
NOT SO FAST TO SORT OF CAVEAT.
THIS ISN'T ENTIRELY OVER AT
THAT'S RIGHT. THERE'S KIND OF A
BIG BEFORE EXPANSION CAN
ACTUALLY HAPPEN. THE STATE HAS
TO PASS A NEW BUDGET AND THE
REPUBLICAN MAJORITY OF THE
LEGISLATURE PUT THAT IN THERE
TO GIVE THEM MORE LEVERAGE TO
NEGOTIATE THAT BUDGET WITH
GOVERNOR ROY COOPER. OTHER
DEMOCRATS HAVE HAD EXPANSION IS
A TOP PRIORITY FOR YEARS.
IT'S NOT GOING TO COME FREE.
WELL, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S
GOING TO BE IN THAT BUDGET WILL
GET A FIRST LOOK NEXT WEEK.
BUT SURELY SOME POLICIES THAT
DEMOCRATS DON'T LIKE. A
REPUBLICAN SPEAKER OF THE
HOUSE. TIM MOORE ACTUALLY
ALLUDED TO THIS TODAY IN A
STATEMENT SAYING, QUOTE, I LOOK
FORWARD TO PASSING A STRONG
CONSERVATIVE BUDGET FOR NORTH
CAROLINA. SO THAT EXPANSION CAN
TAKE EFFECT EVEN SAID. AND THIS
IS HUGE. THIS IS BIPARTISAN.
AND I EXPECT WE'LL HAVE A STYLE
BIPARTISAN CEREMONY NEXT WEEK
WHEN THE GOVERNOR SIGNS THIS
THING IN THE LAW, I EXPECT THAT
WILL BE ON MONDAY. LOOK, WHEN
PEOPLE ARE GETTING ALONG THE
STATEHOUSE, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD.
EVEN IF IT'S ALSO ALWAYS
TEMPORARY. TRAVIS FAIN, 13
YEARS IN THE MAKING THIS