RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — In a roundtable discussion with rural hospital executives, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper sought to increase pressure on Republican senators to support legislation that would expand Medicaid coverage to uninsured adults who don’t meet current requirements. A similar bill was proposed in 2017, but failed after GOP opposition.
Executives from seven hospitals joined the Democratic governor at Wednesday’s event and expressed support for the idea. They said expanding Medicaid would help them reduce the cost of uncompensated care associated with high uninsured rates in their communities.
Some House Republicans this month filed another bill that would include premium and work requirements on expansion recipients, which Cooper doesn’t prefer. But even that measure faces an upward battle. Cooper’s greatest challenge is drum up support from Senate Republicans, who strongly oppose expansion.
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