You Can’t Go to a Food Bank for Health Care: Medicaid’s Role in North Carolina’s Rural and Urban Communities

Medicaid expansion anchors North Carolina's care economy, strengthening access to preventive, maternal, and behavioral health services across rural and urban communities. Early results show reduced uncompensated care and hospital closures. Sustaining these gains requires bipartisan commitment and continued investment, recognizing that health care is a system, not a charitable substitute for government responsibility.