Governor Josh Stein has called for the North Carolina General Assembly to support House Bill 491, which proposes using $190 million from the Medicaid Contingency Reserve to help fund the state’s Medicaid program. This funding would allow the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) to reverse and delay provider rate cuts that began on October 1, 2025.
In a statement, Governor Stein said: “People across North Carolina rely on Medicaid for their health care, and they need the legislature to step up. While the partial funding this House bill provides will not fix the Medicaid budget gap for the long term, it will allow us to delay the cuts as we work to ensure North Carolinians’ continued access to health care. The House has now acted on two clean Medicaid funding bills, and the Senate has left town without even considering this bill. The legislature has had months to fix this problem, and I urge the Senate to come back to Raleigh and fix this mess once and for all for the people who rely on Medicaid for life-saving health care.”
Governor Stein also continued his call for legislative action in his weekly NC Strong Update, urging lawmakers to approve a bill that would provide an additional $319 million needed to fully fund Medicaid. Last week, he sent a letter to legislative leaders outlining three possible ways to reverse the Medicaid cuts, one of which involves using money from the Medicaid Contingency Reserve.
The state’s Medicaid program faces a significant budget shortfall, prompting concerns about continued access to healthcare for many residents.
