Both parties celebrate Gov. Cooper signing the Medicaid expansion bill
STAFF TO BE VIGILANT TONIGHT,
LENA. ALL RIGHT. ERIC MILLER
LIVE FOR US ON NC CENTRAL'S
CAMPUS. THANK YOU. DEMOCRATS
AND REPUBLICANS CELEBRATED
GOVERNOR COOPER SIGNING THE
MEDICAID EXPANSION BILL INTO
LAW ONCE ENACTED. IT MEAN
600,000 MORE NORTH CAROLINIANS
CAN GET HEALTH CARE, BUT THERE
WAS A MAJOR POLITICAL HURDLE.
THE BILL STILL NEEDS TO CLIMB.
>> THE BUREAU'S JULIAN GRACE
ATTENDED THE SIGNING TODAY AND
EXPLAINS
>> AGAIN SOON AS GOVERNOR
COOPER HAS SIGNED A BIPARTISAN
DEAL FOR MEDICAID EXPANSION FOR
600,000, NORTH CAROLINIANS,
EVERYONE COULDN'T BE HERE TO
CLAP. THIS IS LYNN SHE WAS A
POSTAL CARRIER LIVE IN
WAYNESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.
I'M ONE OF THE 6 TO 634,000
NORTH CAROLINIANS LIVING IN
THE MEDICAID GAP. CARBON PASSED
AWAY SUDDENLY IN 2021. DUE TO A
TREATABLE HEART CONDITION.
SHE HAD TO RATION THEIR
MEDICINE BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T
HAVE ACCESS TO CARE THAT I'M A
MOTHER OF 3 AND A GRANDMOTHER
CARVER WAS ALSO AN ACTIVE.
THIS ONE, 2019 PUSH LAWMAKERS
TO PASS A MEDICAID EXPANSION.
THEN THERE WERE OTHERS WHO DID
MAKE IT TO THIS DAY. IT SEEMS
LIKE YOU'RE ABOUT TO TEAR UP,
BUT IT HAS BEEN A STRUGGLE
AGAIN TODAY AND YEARS INSIDE
THIS SERVICE AND STARTING TO
GET IT PASSED. AND IT MEANS A
LOT TO ME PERSONALLY, MY
HUSBAND'S GOT STAGE 5 KIDNEY
DISEASE. THEY TRYING TO GET THE
KIDNEY TRANSPLANT. I DON'T
KNOW. FEEL GOOD. THAT'S DEBBIE
SMITH SEES AS OFTEN HER HUSBAND
HAS TO SEND HIS MEDICATION BACK
BECAUSE HE CAN'T AFFORD IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL GET THE
MEDICAID EXPANSION MONEY THAT,
YOU KNOW, I HOPE SOMEHOW IT
WILL HAVE THAT HOPE IS NOW AT
THE FEE TO STATE LAWMAKERS AND
GOVERNOR ROY COOPER IN ORDER
FOR THIS EXPANSION TO PASS,
THAT WILL HELP THOUSANDS.
>> THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
MUST PASS A BUDGET. COOPER
ADDRESSED THAT CONCERN FROM
THE PODIUM. WE KNOW THE BUDGET
IS GOING TO BE A COMPLICATED
PROCESS ANYWAY AND I FEEL
CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN WORK
TOGETHER TO GET SOMETHING THAT
WE CAN AGREE ON. SO MANY ARE
NOW HOPING IT WILL PASS AND
THAT THESE CLAPS WERE NOT
PREMATURE OAK OF JUST MOSTLY
HOW COMMON
SO THAT THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND
PEOPLE THAT THEY SERVE WILL BE
HAPPY WITH THAT.
>> THAT WAS JULIAN GRACE
REPORTING. EXPERTS SAY TODAY
SIGNATURE SHOWS DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS AGREE THE MEDICAID