RALEIGH, NC – July 3, 2024 – The latest update of the NC Medicaid Expansion Enrollment Dashboard was on July 3rd. May and June enrollment in NC increased by more than 50 thousand to almost one half million people. Buncombe County’s May and June enrollment increased by more than one thousand to more than 12 thousand people. It was estimated that 600 thousand North Carolinians are eligible for ME, with almost 17 thousand from Buncombe County. In 7 months of accepting applications, the state is more than 80% of the way to enrolling all eligible persons and Buncombe County is almost 75% of the way there.
“From the day we launched Medicaid expansion, we’ve been committed to getting people covered and getting them care as fast as possible,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley in a press release. “We are doing that even faster than expected and ensuring North Carolinians receive the health information, support and care they need to help them stay healthy.”
On December 1st, North Carolina officially became the 40th state to expand Medicaid, the federal program for health insurance for low-resource individuals. ME increases health care access to eligible North Carolinians ages 19-64 and their families with earnings to 138 percent of the federal poverty level based on their household size, up from 100 percent. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) dashboard to track ME enrollment is at medicaid.ncdhhs.gov/reports.
There are many ways to apply for NC Medicaid for eligible persons. Those who have not yet applied should visit Medicaid.nc.gov to see if they qualify. Buncombe County residents can apply for Medicaid online and at any time at ePASS.NC.gov. Applications can be done in-person at the HHS Building on 40 Coxe Avenue, by calling 828-250-5500, or by mail. A printable application can be obtained online at the NCDHHS website.
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Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, healthyasheville@ashevillefm.org