A Democrat Who FULLY Supported Medicaid Expansion

While victory laps are taken two years into Medicaid Expansion in North Carolina, few are happier with the result than Rep. Carla Cunningham. Expansion of Medicaid is what called her to run for the N.C. General Assembly in 2012, and she tirelessly worked toward it for a decade.

As NC Child said in its recognition of her work in 2023,

“She was a fierce advocate for Medicaid Expansion. As Vice Chair of the House Health Committee and a member of the Child Fatality Task Force, Rep. Cunningham never stopped making the case as to why our state needed Expansion. She is a courageous and bold leader who faithfully and honestly speaks truth to power.”

The path to expansion is more nuanced than recent celebratory posts let on though. Rep. Cunningham is one of just a few Democrats who took the votes to bring Medicaid Expansion to fruition.

Let’s break down what really happened.

Medicaid Expansion was House Bill 76, Rep. Cunningham was a co-sponsor of the bill, which passed with bipartisan support and was signed into law by then Governor Roy Cooper in March of 2023.

However, the work was not done. The legislation required that the 2023-2024 state budget become law to trigger Medicaid Expansion.

Budget negotiations took an additional six months and when the bill finally came to the floor to vote, Rep. Cunningham was one of only five Democrats to vote for it.

“That budget had Medicaid Expansion in it,” she said. “I came to the General Assembly to make Medicaid Expansion happen. Even though there was significant political pressure to vote against the budget, I did not feel that was what was right for my constituents. North Carolina needed Medicaid Expansion, and I negotiated to get it.”

The 2023 budget included several million for local nonprofits in District 106 and Mecklenburg County. The beneficiaries included Life Span Services, The Relatives, Living Water, Huntersville Fire Departments, Hope Haven, Habitat for Humanity, YMCA of Greater Charlotte, Second Harvest Food Bank, Gracious Hands Transitional Housing, and A Safe Space.

Rep. Carla Cunningham will not let political games get in the way of doing what’s right for North Carolina and we are all the better for it.

According to an article from Governor Josh Stein, Medicaid Expansion, “more than 690,000 newly eligible North Carolinians have gained access to affordable health care through Medicaid Expansion, including veterans and workers in child care, construction, hospitality, home health care, and other industries essential to our state’s success.”

The executive branch also touts the following wins, which can be largely attributed to the dedicated work of Rep. Cunningham.

• More than 11 million prescriptions were filled by new enrollees for heart health, diabetes, seizure disorders, and other illnesses.

• More than 191,000 people have accessed dental services.

• More than 244,500 members of rural communities – more than one in three of all newly eligible people – who may not otherwise have access to health care, enrolled in Medicaid.

• Visits to emergency departments due to overdose are down by 14% from 2024 to 2025 and more mental health providers are serving people covered by Medicaid since expansion.

Rep. Carla Cunningham is the kind of legislator we should all aspire to have, she will always work to get as much as she can for her constituents while focusing on the big picture required to advance the cause – in this case Medicaid Expansion.