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Obamacare

shows basketball players from Duke and UNC on a court

Duke-UNC basketball rivalry has lessons for Medicaid transformation

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Duke-UNC basketball rivalry has lessons for Medicaid transformation - North Carolina Health News

NC lawmakers get a bit of locker room talk with their latest Medicaid transformation update.

By Anne Blythe Whether you believe that politics has become a blood sport or sports have become too political, it’s hard to dispute the long-standing comparisons between the two. So on Tuesday, when key North Carolina lawmakers came together to talk about the state Department of Health and Human Services’ decision to put an indefinite […]

We see the back of a man's head and the two women talking to him. The clinic cares for patients in the uninsured gap and racial disparities in access to care.

North Carolina lags in shrinking inequalities in access to care

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North Carolina lags in shrinking inequalities in access to care - North Carolina Health News

A new study shows that in states with Medicaid expansion, racial disparities have shrunk for access to care. But NC lags and DHHS is trying to do something about it.

By Yen Duong Two documents from the past month reflect the state of racial disparities in access to health care in North Carolina. A new report from the Commonwealth Fund, a health care policy nonprofit, showed that racial disparities in access to health care across the country have shrunk since the Affordable Care Act was […]

A calculator that says "health" as an illustration for short-term health insurance plans.

NC regulators see a rise in complaints about short-term health insurance

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NC regulators see a rise in complaints about short-term health insurance - North Carolina Health News

Observers in and out of the state have said the rise in complaints is a cause for concern.

By Liora Engel-Smith On the heels of the Trump Administration relaxing its rules surrounding short-term health insurance plans, the North Carolina Department of Insurance said it saw an uptick in consumer complaints surrounding these low-cost, but limited, plans. The department logged 75 complaints related to short-term insurance in 2019, up from 48 the previous year, […]

shows white fireworks against a dark sky. 2019, 2020

NC health trends and policies to watch for in 2020

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NC health trends and policies to watch for in 2020 - North Carolina Health News

We asked our reporters to predict the biggest developments in health in the state this coming year. Today, we look ahead on Medicaid transformation, environmental policy, mental health and more.

By North Carolina Health News staff Our reporters explored some of the biggest topics in North Carolina’s health arena from Medicaid managed care to mental health in prisons, to the state’s opioid crisis. Here is a sampling of the topics they’ll be monitoring in the coming year: Medicaid battles continue with a January mini session […]

The ACA market place does not have short-term insurance plans

Short-term health plan rule change creates a ‘wild west’ of skimpy coverage

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Short-term health plan rule change creates a ‘wild west’ of skimpy coverage - North Carolina Health News

As the enrollment period for coverage under the Affordable Care Act draws to a close, advocates warn about lookalike plans.

By Liora Engel-Smith As thousands of North Carolinians sign up for health insurance for next year, many of them may receive robocalls or encounter ads and websites for policies marketing themselves as being affordable, but which actually cover very little. Websites with names like “Trump Health Care,” “Obamacare Plans” and “Provide Health Coverage” tout open […]

An exam room in a clinic or a rural hospital.

Rural and safety net hospitals prepare for cut in federal support

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Rural and safety net hospitals prepare for cut in federal support - North Carolina Health News

Rural and safety net hospitals face unwelcome choices about how to handle the coming cuts from an Obamacare provision that reduce federal support for charity care.

By: Michael Ollove Stateline Absent action by Congress in the next few weeks, Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO of Vidant Health, is going to have to figure out what medical services to deny hard-pressed communities in rural eastern North Carolina. “It runs the gamut,” Waldrum said in an interview last week. “Do we close hospitals? Do […]

Photo of a child on an adult hand to signify children and the number of uninsured children on the rise in North Carolina

Number of uninsured children in North Carolina rises for a second year

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Number of uninsured children in North Carolina rises for a second year - North Carolina Health News

Between 2016 and 2018, the total number of uninsured children in North Carolina rose from 115,000 to 130,000, a recent Georgetown University analysis found.

By Anne Blythe North Carolina is one of 15 states that saw a statistically significant jump over the past two years in the number of children without health insurance, according to a Georgetown University report released this week. The number of uninsured children grew in North Carolina between 2016 and 2018, pushing the total number […]

Shows text supporting Medicaid expansion that reads: The Graham County Commissioners strongly give their full support to Representative Kevin Corbin for House Bill 655... The Graham County Board of Commissioners understand that the majority of uninsured inividuals in North Carolina are employed, but do not make enough money to afford health insurance coverage."

Business leaders, conservatives across state warm to Medicaid expansion

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Business leaders, conservatives across state warm to Medicaid expansion - North Carolina Health News

In private, and increasingly in public, some are making their support for House Bill 655, which would allow for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina, in defiance of the state party leaders.

By Rose Hoban Dale Wiggins thinks it’s time. Actually, he thinks it’s past due. Wiggins, a retired businessman, is the head of the Graham County Board of Commissioners, which recently sent a resolution of support for expanding the state’s Medicaid program to legislative leaders and Gov. Roy Cooper. The unanimous resolution, signed by four Republicans […]

We see the back of a man's head and the two women talking to him. The clinic cares for patients in the uninsured gap and racial disparities in access to care.

NC’s uninsured gap 9th highest in the nation

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NC’s uninsured gap 9th highest in the nation - North Carolina Health News

The state’s uninsured rate remain high, but unchanged, new a report from the U.S. Census shows.

By Liora Engel-Smith For the third year in a row, the number of people without health insurance in North Carolina remained roughly the same, the annual U.S. Census Bureau report released earlier this month shows. More than 1 million North Carolinians — or 10.7 percent — did not have health insurance in all of 2018, […]

two men stand at a podium, surrounded by other people. One of them is talking.

House budget override narrows path to Medicaid expansion

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House budget override narrows path to Medicaid expansion - North Carolina Health News

The path for North Carolina to extend health insurance benefits to low-income workers was always rough, but events at the legislature Wednesday made the path rockier.

By Rose Hoban In a dramatic turn of events early Wednesday morning, House Republicans successfully held a vote to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of the state budget when few Democrats were in the chamber to vote against the measure. (See box.) The vote means now the budget override moves to the Senate chamber, where […]