Although North Carolina decided not to expand Medicaid this year, it has the option of looking at the issue again in 2015, which could mean implementation of Medicaid expansion by 2016, according to the study, which includes data from 100 counties.
With such an expansion, the study shows 300,000 low-income adults would be able to gain coverage in 2016 and almost 500,000 by 2017.
Additionally, more than 43,000 jobs could be added to the state’s workforce by 2020, the study shows.
However, 43,000 fewer jobs would be added by 2020, and North Carolina would lose an estimated $21 billion in federal funding between 2016 and 2020, if the state does not expand Medicaid in 2016, according to the study.
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