CHARLOTTE, N.C. โ President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” could eliminate Medicaid coverage for more than half a million North Carolinians.ย
Sen. Thom Tillis announced his retirement while voting against Trump’s bill, warning that too many North Carolinians would lose Medicaid coverage.
โSo what do I tell 663,000 people in two years or three years when President Trump breaks his promise by pushing them off of Medicaid because the fundingโs not there anymore?โ Senator Tillis said on the Senate floor.
The bill would directly impact those who benefit from Medicaid expansion by limiting the state’s ability to fund that expansion through hospital assessments โ the main way North Carolina pays for the program.ย
Local experts are now warning that the legislation would particularly impact people with pre-existing conditions, including those living with HIV and AIDS.
“It’s a really scary time,” Chelsea Gulden, CEO of RAIN, a Charlotte-based organization offering resources and treatment access, said. “We do a lot of testing, which is all threatened in the bill.”
According to AIDS United, 40% of adults living with HIV rely on Medicaid. The bill would also slash funding for federal HIV prevention and surveillance programs.
Gulden said those cuts come on top of ongoing reductions to research funding.
“The funny thing about the entire situation is that there’s really not that much communication. It happens really fast,” she said, adding that some they expect to get cut are still in limbo. “We fully anticipate it getting pulled, but we’re just not sure if there’s not enough staff to review it, or what’s going on.”
She said the cuts are happening just as scientific breakthroughs are within reach, including the newly approved PrEP shot, though a true vaccine is still needed.
“They will be protected against any HIV exposure for six months and they just go back,” Gulden said. “It’s the closest thing to a vaccine that we have.”
Gulden warned rural hospitals will feel the impacts first, and that could soon ripple into Charlotte.
“When you think about now going to the emergency room and having to sit for X amount of hours, increase that because now we’re also seeing people from rural areas coming to that hospital because they don’t have another choice,” Gulden said. “You will absolutely be impacted.”
RAIN also offers mental health support and housing resources. Like many nonprofits, the organization needs donations and encourages people to get involved if they can.
Contact Julie Kay at juliekay@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X andย Instagram.
For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts that impact you from WCNC Charlotte, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app and enable push notifications.
About The Author
