North Carolina was one of the last states to expand Medicaid, delaying for nearly a decade after the federal government made expanded coverage available under the Affordable Care Act. Finally, in 2023, the General Assembly opted North Carolina into the expanded program, but made its launch contingent upon passage of the next budget. That turned the budget into a must-pass bill, because hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians were still missing out on vital free and low-cost services like annual checkups and prescription drug coverage.
“Well now they could add in anything they wanted,” explained Sekel, who is cofounder of the group Save Our Schools NC, and North Carolina deputy director for the organization Red Wine and Blue. “If Governor Cooper had tried to veto it, then they would be able to say that Governor Cooper vetoed Medicaid.”
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