S408 expands Medicaid coverage for adults aged 18-64 with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level and invests $1 billion to address the opioid, substance abuse, and mental health crisis using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, This legislation also include proposals to increase access to healthcare in rural areas of the State.
The North Carolina State House of Representatives passed S408 on June 28, 2022 by a vote of 102 to 6. We have assigned pluses to the nays because this law greatly expands the size of government, creating a program that only benefits one faction of the population. Also, the spending of taxpayer money for purposes not authorized under Art. 1 Sec. 8 of the U.S. Constitution tightens the federal-state lockstep on redistribution of income. Additionally, distribution of federal taxpayer dollars comes with contingencies and requirements, forcing states into situations that violate the U.S. Constitution. Healthcare is not a right under the constitution.