NCDHHS Livestream Fireside Chat and Tele-Town Hall: NC Medicaid: Strengthening the Health of 1 in 4 North Carolinians

MEDIA ADVISORY - The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live fireside chat and tele-town hall on Wednesday, Sept. 24, from 6 to 7 p.m. to discuss who is eligible for Medicaid, how Medicaid expansion supports the health of communities across the state, ways to apply for health coverage and what to know about upcoming federal changes to the program.

RALEIGH

Sep 22, 2025

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live fireside chat and tele-town hall on Wednesday, Sept. 24, from 6 to 7 p.m. to discuss who is eligible for Medicaid, how Medicaid expansion supports the health of communities across the state, ways to apply for health coverage and what to know about upcoming federal changes to the program.

Event participants include:

• Jay Ludlam, Deputy Secretary for NC Medicaid, Division of Health Benefits, NCDHHS
• Crister Brady, M.D., MPH, Family Physician, UNC Family Medicine
• Brenda Jackson, Director, Cumberland County Department of Social Services

The North Carolina Medicaid program provides affordable health coverage, access to doctors and prescriptions for more than 3 million children, older adults, people with disabilities, veterans and working North Carolinians. Medicaid covers 1 in 4 people in North Carolina, along with half of all births in the state.

Fireside chat and tele-town hall panelists will discuss the following:

• How Medicaid makes North Carolinians healthier
• Who is newly eligible for Medicaid under expansion
• Ways to apply for Medicaid or other health care coverage
• What to know about the future of the NC Medicaid program

NC Medicaid is now available to more people ages 19 through 64 years old, and nearly 700,000 eligible individuals and families have enrolled since expansion launched on Dec. 1, 2023. In less than two years, Medicaid has covered more than $126 million dollars in claims for dental services for newly eligible enrollees, who have also filled more than 9.4 million prescriptions for conditions like heart disease, diabetes, seizures and other illnesses.

The NCDHHS Medicaid expansion website provides information on eligibility, how to apply and where to find support. Individuals can also connect with state support teams or their local department of social services to better understand their health care coverage options and get enrolled.

The fireside chat will stream live from the NCDHHS Facebook, X (Twitter) and YouTube accounts, where viewers can submit questions. The event also includes a tele-town hall, which invites people by phone to listen in and submit questions. People can dial into the event by calling 855-756-7520 Ext. 126224#.

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