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RALEIGH – As Congress weighs its options on the federal budget, one local state representative expresses his concerns about possible cuts to Medicaid.

Rodney D. Pierce, who represents District 27 (Halifax, Northampton, Warren counties) in the NC House said North Carolinians, particularly in Eastern North Carolina, are holding their breath due to a proposal at the federal level that could possibly cut nearly $900 billion from Medicaid. “Our community relies on these programs just to get by,” Rep. Pierce said in a press release sent today (Wednesday).

For reference, Pierce offered several statistics from 2023. He noted that in terms of percentage of residents covered by Medicaid, Halifax County ranks second among the state’s 100 counties while Warren County is ranked 11^th and Northampton is ranked 19^th.

Within the Children Health Insurance Program (CHIP) portion of Medicaid, Warren County ranks 4^th in the state followed by Halifax (5^th) and Northampton (12^th).

In terms of non-elderly adults, Halifax (1^st), Warren (10^th) and Northampton (16^th) all rank in the top 20 statewide.

As for senior citizens, each county in House District 27 ranks in the top 20: Halifax (2^nd), Northampton (10^th) and Warren (19^th).

“No matter the category you consider, collectively the 27th House District would be severely and disproportionately impacted by these draconian cuts to Medicaid,” Pierce stated. “Statewide, millions rely on this coverage and with Medicaid expansion in jeopardy, another 630,000 residents face uncertainty.”

Pierce added that from a regional standpoint, the 1^st Congressional District would bear the largest brunt of the impact in North Carolina. He noted that overall, 71 percent of the $19 billion of federal funding received in North Carolina is for Medicaid, which covers 37 percent of North Carolina births, 41 percent of all NC children, and 50 percent of children with special needs.

“The Congressional Budget Office has told Congressional Republicans they cannot meet their budget goals without cuts to Medicaid, which millions of North Carolinians rely on just to survive,” Pierce said. “It would be devastating and cruel to cut their coverage, yet that is exactly what Congress is proposing. We have made far too much progress bringing health care coverage to rural communities like mine to start going backward now.”