Last week, the North Carolina Senate voted to expand Medicaid to North Carolinians who are currently without health care coverage.

With a 44-2 vote, the bipartisan-backed measure has moved forward amid a decade long standstill that has left more than half a million North Carolinians without access to affordable health care.

• Since 2013, the expanded Medicaid program has been available to states, with the federal government agreeing to pick up 90 percent of the price tag. On top of that, the Biden Administration has offered states who have yet to consider the coverage with additional federal funding to ease costs.
  
• Despite overwhelming support from North Carolinians, state Republican leaders refused to expand Medicaid for a decade, resulting in North Carolina remaining one of few states that have not expanded health care coverage, several rural hospital closures and the state losing out on billions of federal funding.
  
• The recent passage is a significant milestone, yet the bipartisan effort spearhead in the state Senate may not follow through when the bill hits the state House. House Speaker Tim Moore has already stated that the House would not consider Medicaid expansion in this legislative session, according to the Associated Press.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and Democrats never ceased to beat the drum for Medicaid expansion. After a decade of Democrats advocating for the protections of uninsured North Carolinians, Republicans are rightfully recognizing how critical access to affordable care is for the health and well-being of our state. 

It’s now up to House Republicans whether they will put politics aside and join in a bipartisan effort to ensure hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians can finally receive the care they need.