North Carolina Gov. Patrick McCrory is punting a decision on whether to expand Medicaid in the state until after the Supreme Court rules this summer on a challenge to Obamacare.
The court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in King v. Burwell on March 4. At issue is whether the federal government can offer subsidies to purchase health insurance to residents in states that did not set up their own healthcare exchanges.
The Republican governor told the Associated Press Wednesday that he wants to wait due to the magnitude of the case. Any decision will have “major ramifications on the entire healthcare system, especially with the state exchange and federal exchange issue up in the air,” he said Wednesday.
If the court rules the federal government cannot offer subsidies, then residents in 37 states, including North Carolina, could lose coverage. A ruling is expected in June.
28 states have agreed to Medicaid expansions, with Indiana being the most recent.
