Nearly 1,000 residents a day are signing up for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina according to North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley. While the expansion had been agreed upon months earlier, delays in the General Assembly passing the current state budget meant that expansion did not begin until Dec. 1.
As of the start of the month 346,408 residents statewide have enrolled in Medicaid since the expansion period began. The state said that number is more than half of the anticipated 600,000 people who are newly eligible for coverage.
In Surry County 2,739 adults have enrolled under the expansion with the highest number of new enrollments happening when the period first began. In December 1,839 people enrolled with another 997 in January and 353 so far this month. The state said that 6.6% of the adult population has enrolled during expansion.
North Carolina residents qualify for Medicaid expansion if they are between 19 and 64 years old, a citizen, and have a household income up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level.