Today Governor Stein joined Medicaid beneficiaries, health providers, and county commissioners in Fayetteville to prepare for impending federal Medicaid cuts caused by H.R. 1. More than 250,000 North Carolinians are at risk of losing health care coverage because of these cuts, which will raise costs for all North Carolina taxpayers.
“When more people are uninsured, hospitals and clinics face more unpaid care, people may be forced out of the workforce without treatment, families take on more medical debt, and everyone is forced to cover the cost of care through higher premiums,” said Governor Josh Stein. “I continue to urge Congress to reverse these cuts and focus on delivering solutions that help people live healthier, safer, and more prosperous lives.”
Today Governor Stein also sent a letter to Congressional leaders and the North Carolina congressional delegation urging them to reverse Medicaid cuts and repeal the harmful work requirements in H.R. 1.
Click here to read Governor Stein's letter to the North Carolina Congressional delegation.
"NC Medicaid is facing significant changes due to federal H.R. 1 legislation, and we know that these continued changes pose new challenges to our state, impacting our most vulnerable communities and county departments of social services," said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. "NCDHHS will continue to work with our state and local partners to ensure every North Carolinian has the tools they need to access care when and where they need it."
Starting January 1, 2027, many North Carolinians with NC Medicaid coverage will be required to prove they are working, going to school, or volunteering 80 hours a month, as well as renew and verify their eligibility every six months instead of annually. Every person who has NC Medicaid should:
- Check that your local Department of Social Services (local DSS) has your current address and phone number. Your local DSS will write to you about these changes. If your address is wrong, you could lose your Medicaid without knowing why. Update your address online at ePASS or call your local DSS.
- Answer any letter right away. Letters from your local DSS usually have a deadline. Missing a deadline is a common reason people lose their Medicaid.
- Get an enhanced ePASS account if you do not have one. You need an enhanced account to upload any documents you may need to share to keep your Medicaid coverage.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) released a Know What’s Next toolkit to share information about new rules for NC Medicaid. The toolkit includes flyers, social media posts, a rack card, and a wallet card in English and Spanish. Click here to learn more about who is affected by NC Medicaid changes and how you can keep your health care coverage.
Federal cuts are threatening the North Carolina Medicaid program, which provides affordable health coverage to more than 3 million children, pregnant women, older adults, people with disabilities, veterans, and working North Carolinians. Medicaid covers 1 in 4 people in North Carolina, along with half of all births in the state. As a result of H.R. 1, tens of billions of dollars in federal funds for North Carolina’s Medicaid program will be cut over the next 10 years, and critical funding for hospitals in the state will be lost. As many as 250,000 North Carolinians could lose their health care coverage, and as many as 90,000 North Carolinians covered by the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) could lose their access to food support. This comes on the heels of North Carolina experiencing the greatest decline in ACA health plan enrollments of any state in 2026, after Congress failed to extend premium tax credits.
While the federal government continues to threaten people’s health care, Governor Stein has continued to work to protect Medicaid coverage and make health care more affordable for North Carolinians. In July, the Governor and NC DHHS submitted a public comment to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) urging CMS to reverse course on its recent interim rule and revert to original language on medical frailty in H.R. 1 to protect health care coverage for more than 64,000 North Carolinians who have cancer and other severe illnesses. In June, Governor Stein established the Health Care Affordability Commission made up of experts from across the health care landscape, including medical providers, hospitals, insurers, researchers, and patient advocates to develop timely, concrete solutions to make health care more affordable for all North Carolinians. This week, The News & Observer published an op-ed by Governor Josh Stein warning that federal Medicaid cuts included in H.R. 1 will cause all North Carolinians to pay the price. Read Governor Stein’s op-ed here.