North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper used a round-table discussion with rural hospital executives Wednesday to raise pressure on Republican lawmakers to expand Medicaid coverage to more uninsured adults.
Executives from seven hospitals met with Democratic governor and expressed support for offering Medicaid to more uninsured adults who can't otherwise qualify because they make too much money. They said the expansion would help them reduce the cost their hospitals bear for uncompensated care.
A bill filed this month by some House Republicans would require recipients of the expanded benefit to pay premiums and meet some work requirements. A similar bill proposed back in 2017, failed amid GOP opposition.
Cooper expressed reservations about the bill's work requirements, but said he wants to work with legislators to hammer out specifics of the actual medicaid expansion.
