After years of debate and months of planning a rollout across the state, Medicaid expansion is officially in effect for North Carolina.
State lawmakers initially passed a bipartisan law in March for around 600,000 more residents to become eligible for the health care service, but delays in passing a state budget bumped implementation back to December 1. Now that it’s here, local health and social service officials are sharing more details on what to expect and how to sign up.
In Orange County, more than 20,000 people are already receiving Medicaid services – with most of them being children, seniors, and people with disabilities. With expansion, though, people ages 19 through 64 can be eligible, even if they have higher incomes than the previous threshold.
The Orange County Department of Social Services recently shared a presentation to the county Board of Commissioners about its rollout plans. During that, Human Services Manager Lindsey Shewmaker said people in that age bracket who make up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level – which is around $20,000 a year for single adults and $34,000 for a family of three – would be eligible. According to their estimates, that could add more than 5,300 people in Orange County the first year of expansion.
“To give you a little idea of where we expect to be,” Shewmaker told the board, “if in 2023 we’re at 20,700 [people], we expect to get to over 27,000 Orange County residents receiving Medicaid.”
The county’s Department of Social Services created nine positions to help with this roll out, with the jobs covered through federal and state funds. Shewmaker said with those people on board and training over recent months, the group is ready for residents to apply.
“We’re excited, but it’s a challenge,” she told the county commissioners. “It’s 6,800 people we’re added to rolls pretty quickly. I think we have a lot of people in our community who have needed this resource for a long time, I think there’s some pent-up need there. We want to encourage people to apply as soon as possible, but with that comes potentially lots of applications to get through.”
For those eligible to apply, you must provide your full name, date of birth, social security number, North Carolina address, income information, and qualified immigration status. Once approved, eligibility will be checked once every 12 months to ensure a Medicaid recipient would still qualify for the services.
There are some residents who will automatically have their Medicaid service updated. Thousands of North Carolinians in the newly eligible age range and income level were already enrolled in Family Plan Medicaid services, which was one of the few Medicaid options in the state. Based on their information, the state and local governments sent letters saying they will not have to change their enrollment to begin receiving the expanded services. Shewmaker reported this was the case for nearly 1,990 Orange County residents.
NCDHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley shared an update on the progress of Medicaid Expansion, which is slated to launch on Dec. 1, 2023.
Find more information at https://t.co/9BLknR4Tg0 pic.twitter.com/ilt0EZ9piD
— NCDHHS (@ncdhhs) November 30, 2023
North Carolina and local officials are encouraging people to primarily apply online through the ePASS service, although it can also be completed through paper form and either in-person or over the phone at Department of Social Services offices. Shewmaker said Orange County’s department will have laptops at its locations to help anyone that may not have individual internet access.
All of Orange County’s representatives in the state legislature voted in favor of Medicaid expansion in March, and have expressed their anticipation of the changes. That includes Rep. Renée Price, whose District 50 covers most of Orange County and all of Caswell County. She told 97.9 The Hill she believes there are several ways her constituents will be impacted – even those who aren’t eligible for Medicaid. Price cited the economic development opportunities and options for key local industries that expansion will present.
“Healthcare will bring numerous jobs to people of Orange County, as well as people across the state,” she said. “Another [element], particularly that I’ve heard about, concerns gig workers and people who have been uninsured. In Orange County, we have a lot of people who are artistically inclined and a lot of young people who want to start their own businesses and they’re independent – now they can get health insurance for themselves.”
The District 50 representative added that she believes the investment in behavioral and mental health will provide a significant boost. By expanding Medicaid, North Carolina will receive $1.75 billion back from resident-paid federal taxes. State lawmakers have those funds earmarked to go toward improving mental health services.
“With Medicaid expansion,” said Price, “we’ll be able to put funding and investment into clinics, hospitals, and community resources for people that need it. Right now, we’re woefully behind the 8-ball when it comes to providing all of the needed services.”
For those still unable to enroll in Medicaid who need health insurance, Orange County officials pointed to the ongoing, open enrollment for federal healthcare provided by the Affordable Care Act. The enrollment period will last through January 15, 2024 – which differs from Medicaid, since Medicaid allows enrollment year-round.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has a Frequently Asked Questions page on its website for those seeking additional information about Medicaid expansion and enrollment. That can be found here, while the department’s general landing page for Medicaid can be found here. Details on recertification of Medicaid enrollment can be found here.
Photo via AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum.
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines