North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed H.B. 76: Access to Healthcare Options into law on March 27. North Carolina is now the 40th state to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

"Medicaid expansion is a once-in-a-generation investment that will strengthen our mental health system, boost our rural hospitals, support working families and so much more," said Cooper. "This is a historic step toward a healthier North Carolina that will bring people the opportunity of better health and a better life."

Here is a look at the final details of H.B. 76 compiled by ACC's State Advocacy Team:

• Expands Medicaid to over 600,000 North Carolinians and doles out $1.8 billion in federal funds to the state
• Creates a Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program (HASP), which would reimburse hospitals who have experienced financial losses
• Expands postpartum coverage
• Creates a statewide workforce development program
• Creates a program that would help residents on Medicaid transfer to marketplace place health care when available
• Adds Certificate of Need (CON) Reform, which would remove requirements for chemical dependency beds and psychiatric beds, raise the dollar threshold for replacement equipment, and raise the dollar threshold for diagnostic centers
• Adds CON Reform for counties with over 125,000 residents for Ambulatory Surgery Centers (will take effect two years after the first HASP payment) and MRI machines (will take effect 3 years after the first HASP payment)

Note: Changes will be implemented only if the 2023-2024 budget is passed into law by the end of 2023.

Clinical Topics: Cardiovascular Care Team, Noninvasive Imaging, Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Keywords: ACC Advocacy, Medicaid, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, North Carolina, Certificate of Need, Financial Management, Workforce, Postpartum Period, Magnetic Resonance Imaging

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