RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein is expected to take action on legislation that would fully fund Medicaid across the state Thursday.
The $319 million plan, known as House Bill 696, received overwhelming support from both Republicans and Democrats in Raleigh. Lawmakers finalized the bill Tuesday, passing 112-3 in the state House and 45-3 in the Senate.
State health officials say Medicaid will run out of money in May. Without a state budget, the program is running on old number that don’t account for inflation or population growth.
Stein’s office said the governor supports funding Medicaid but is still reviewing other parts of the bill.
According to the NC Rural Center, 1 in 4 North Carolinians receive health insurance through Medicaid. That comes out to over 3 million residents in total.
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
