NC To Lose $51 Billion Over Medicaid, Study Finds

  A new report suggests the decision by Gov. Pat McCrory and Republican lawmakers not to expand Medicaid coverage through the Affordable Care Act will cost North Carolina. The study indicates that more than $50 billion dollars in Federal funding will be lost.

The study, issued by the non-partisan Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute, says the state will lose nearly $40 billion in Medicaid funding to the state and more than $11 billion in reimbursements to North Carolina hospitals.

It's estimated about 319,000 low-income workers would have gained health insurance coverage had the state expanded Medicaid.

McCrory says the state's system is too broken to expand. Republican legislative leaders said reforming the system was among their top legislative priorities for 2014, but appear poised to adjourn on Thursday without approving a plan.