New Study Forecasts Impact Of Medicaid Expansion On N.C. Counties

A new study takes a look at the potential impact of a North Carolina Medicaid expansion, breaking down the results county-by-county. 

The report includes a Coverage Gap Impact Map, which tallies how Medicaid expansion would affect each of North Carolina's 100 counties. The “coverage gap” refers to people who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but too little to qualify for health insurance marketplace subsidies.

The map includes information such as how many residents stand to gain coverage under expansion, and how many jobs could be created by closing the gap.

For example, in Forsyth County, nearly 25,500 residents would receive health insurance coverage in a region where almost 14% of non-elderly workers are uninsured. And with an expected increase in jobs and new business activity, the county could see over $5 million in new revenue.

The report was released by Care4Carolina, a group advocating for Medicaid expansion. The data was sourced by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the Healthcare.gov marketplace, Georgetown University, and George Washington University. 

Medicaid expansion could play an important role in the ongoing state budget negotiations between North Carolina's legislative and executive branches.