Governor Roy Cooper and healthcare advocates celebrated the Medicaid expansion on Friday with a kick-off event.
The Medicaid expansion, which started on Dec. 1, 2023, will impact more than 600,000 North Carolinians.
North Carolina residents aged 19 through 64 years old who previously made too much to qualify for Medicaid can now apply for low-cost healthcare.
At the kickoff, health insurance navigators helped those newly eligible, like Josette Johnson, to apply.
Johnson, 53, who is disabled from a stroke, has high blood pressure. Johnson said she went without health insurance for over a year.
Despite wanting to see a doctor, Johnson told QCity Metro she self-treated by avoiding certain foods and other things she could do at home.
But not having health insurance made her anxious and further increased her blood pressure, she said.
Thanks to the expansion, Johnson was able to reapply for Medicaid.
“I will be able to get my medicine,” Johnson said. “I’m grateful for it.”
To apply, visit the state’s website or call 980-256-3782.
