North Carolina legislators weighing whether to expand Medicaid heard from former Ohio Gov. John Kasich and other speakers about the experiences of states that already have.
Kasich and presenters on programs in Montana, Indiana and Michigan described Tuesday to a General Assembly study committee expansion successes and challenges.
They spoke about how expansion was fiscally responsible, improved health outcomes and reduced the amount of services for which hospitals wouldn’t otherwise be reimbursed.
Kasich, a Republican, also urged lawmakers to “open our hearts” to people in need and who are seeking a better life. The four states are either Republican-leaning or purple politically.
The former governor had to go around the Ohio legislature controlled by Republicans in 2013, using the Ohio Controlling Board, a panel of state lawmakers to implement the expansion of medicaid.