Bill > H1175

Introduced Session

AN ACT TO LOWER HEALTHCARE COSTS, INCREASE COMPETITION IN THE HEALTH INSURANCE MARKET, AND IMPROVE VALUE AND TRANSPARENCY BY LEVERAGING THE STATE'S PURCHASING POWER; TO ESTABLISH A LOW-COST, AFFORDABLE HEALTH PLAN OPTION ON THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACE; TO CREATE A HEALTHCARE PURCHASING CONSORTIUM TO ALIGN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT; TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR IMPLEMENTATION; TO CONTINUE AND EXPAND HEALTHY OPPORTUNITIES ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE CHRONIC DISEASE PREVENTION; TO ELIMINATE CERTIFICATE OF NEED REVIEW FOR INPATIENT REHABILITATION SERVICES, REHABILITATION FACILITIES, AND REHABILITATION BEDS; TO PROVIDE GREATER PROTECTION FOR ESSENTIAL RURAL HEALTH SERVICES; AND TO PRESERVE COMPETITION IN HEALTHCARE BY REGULATING THE CONSOLIDATION AND CONVEYANCE OF HOSPITALS. Whereas, the people of North Carolina are entitled to timely, affordable, and high-quality healthcare as a matter of human dignity, public welfare, and fundamental fairness; and Whereas, healthcare is not a luxury but a necessity, and the inability to obtain needed care or coverage endangers the lives, well-being, and economic security of individuals, families, and communities across this State; and Whereas, in 2026, the cost of healthcare in North Carolina remains too high for too many residents, employers, and taxpayers, driven in part by market consolidation, opaque pricing, administrative burdens, avoidable chronic disease, barriers to meaningful competition, and billing and facility practices that increase costs without commensurate improvement in patient outcomes or access to care; and Whereas, excessive healthcare costs force North Carolinians to delay treatment, forgo preventive care, accumulate medical debt, and remain uninsured or underinsured, thereby worsening illness, increasing long-term system costs, and deepening inequality; and Whereas, high healthcare prices also impose substantial burdens on small businesses, local governments, North Carolina State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees, and other public purchasers, diverting resources away from wages, education, infrastructure, and other public needs; and Whereas, many North Carolinians remain uninsured or lack access to coverage they can reasonably afford, and the State has a compelling interest in expanding access to dependable, affordable health benefit plans so that residents may obtain needed care before medical conditions become more severe and more costly; and Whereas, chronic disease is a major driver of suffering, preventable death, and rising medical expenditures, and public health initiatives that prevent, mitigate, and better manage chronic illness are necessary both to improve quality of life and to reduce long-term healthcare costs; and Whereas, consumers and patients should be protected from healthcare practices that increase prices, obscure the true cost of care, delay or complicate treatment, or impose charges unrelated to improvements in quality, safety, or clinical outcomes; and Whereas, it is in the interest of the State to lower healthcare costs by increasing competition, leveraging public purchasing power, expanding access to affordable coverage, encouraging public health strategies that reduce chronic disease, and protecting patients and consumers from practices that inflate costs without improving care; Now, therefore,

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Cynthia Ball (D)*,  Mary Belk (D)*,  Maria Cervania (D)*,  Sarah Crawford (D)*,  Eric Ager (D),  Vernetta Alston (D),  Amber Baker (D),  Gloristine Brown (D),  Kanika Brown (D),  Allen Buansi (D),  Deb Butler (D),  Becky Carney (D),  Tracy Clark (D),  Bryan Cohn (D),  Mike Colvin (D),  Amanda Cook (D),  Allison Dahle (D),  Julia Greenfield (D),  Pricey Harrison (D),  Zack Hawkins (D),  Beth Helfrich (D),  Frances Jackson (D),  Monika Johnson-Hostler (D),  Ya Liu (D),  Carolyn Logan (D),  Tim Longest (D),  Jordan Lopez (D),  Nasif Majeed (I),  Marcia Morey (D),  Garland Pierce (D),  Rodney Pierce (D),  Lindsey Prather (D),  Renée Price (D),  Amos Quick (D),  Robert Reives (D),  James Roberson (D),  Phil Rubin (D),  Charles Smith (D),  Brian Turner (D),  Julie Von Haefen (D), 

Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House (on 05/04/2026)

Official Document