As Medicaid expansion becomes law in North Carolina and more than 600,000 North Carolinians are set to qualify for health coverage they can actually afford, it’s important to remember that Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson opposes it. Robinson, who is on the verge of announcing his run for Governor, has previously said “I hope that it fails” when asked if he agreed with his Republicans colleagues’ change of heart on expanding Medicaid.

“Medicaid expansion is a testament to what can get done when partisanship is set aside to improve the lives of North Carolinians,” said NCDP spokesperson Kate Frauenfelder. “Mark Robinson has made clear he’s not willing to come to the table to find bipartisan solutions for working people across this state who can’t afford health care – that’s not what North Carolina voters are looking for in their next Governor.”

Here’s just some of what Mark Robinson is against by opposing Medicaid expansion: 

• Health care access for more than 600,000 North Carolinians, including grocery store clerks, home health aids, veterans, and restaurants workers.

• An estimated $521 million each month from the federal government

• Investments in rural hospitals to keep access for North Carolinians in all corners of the state. Since 20005, 11 rural hospitals have closed in North Carolina.

• Increased access to mental health and substance use treatment

• Tens of thousands of new jobs created new business activity comes to the state