North Carolina: No Medicaid expansion, state-run exchange

North Carolina won't be expanding its Medicaid program or operating a state-run health insurance exchange, Gov. Pat McCrory announced Tuesday. He said state officials have conducted a thorough review, including talking with other governors, federal officials, healthcare providers and state leaders, about expanding Medicaid and operating a state-based exchange. "This assessment included our existing systems, operations, potential new administrative costs and barriers, and the amount of control and flexibility North Carolina will have to reform the system," McCrory said. "The results of our findings make it abundantly clear that North Carolina is not ready to expand the Medicaid system and that we should utilize a federal exchange."

Calling North Carolina's Medicaid program "broken," McCrory said an expansion would cause "great risk to the taxpayers" and the delivery of services. Regarding an exchange, McCrory cited a lack of preparation within state government during the past year that led him to opt for a federally-run online marketplace. Announcement