North Carolina Medicaid
NC Medicaid
Apply or call
NC Medicaid covers pregnant women up to 201% of the federal poverty line — roughly $51,900 annual income for a family of three in 2025. The state adopted Medicaid expansion in 2023. Apply at https://epass.nc.gov/ or call 1-888-245-0179.
On maternal health specifically: NC Medicaid has extended postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months (effective 2022-04-01), and has a doula Medicaid benefit pending CMS approval.
North Carolina became the 40th expansion state on December 1, 2023 under HB 76 (2023), signed by Governor Cooper after a decade of gridlock. In its first year, expansion enrolled more than 545,000 North Carolinians, roughly a third of whom are Black residents.
Key facts at a glance
- Pregnant women eligible up to 201% FPL ($51,900 for a family of three in 2025).
- Children 0-5 eligible up to 210% FPL ($54,220 for a family of three).
- Expansion adults eligible up to 138% FPL ($35,630 for a family of three).
- Postpartum Medicaid extended to 12 months (effective 2022-04-01).
North Carolina Medicaid, topic by topic
Eligibility
Income limits & who qualifies
NC Medicaid covers pregnant women up to 201% of the federal poverty line — $51,900 annual income for a family of three in 2025.
How to apply
How to apply step by step
Apply online at https://epass.nc.gov/ or by phone at 1-888-245-0179. Federal law requires a 45-day decision on non-disability applications …
Doula coverage
Doula coverage details
NC Medicaid has a Medicaid doula benefit pending CMS approval.
Postpartum extension
12-month postpartum status
NC Medicaid extended postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months, effective 2022-04-01.
Pregnant women
Pregnancy coverage in full
NC Medicaid covers pregnancy-related care up to 201% of the federal poverty line — about $51,900 annual income for a family of three in 202…
Renewal
Annual renewal & unwinding
NC Medicaid redetermines eligibility at least once every 12 months under 42 CFR 435.916. During the 2023+ unwinding, roughly 69% of disenro…
For Black families
Roughly 485,000 Black residents are enrolled in NC Medicaid, per the most recent CMS T-MSIS analytic file. The number understates true eligibility: every state has Black eligibles who aren't currently enrolled, usually because of the administrative-churn rates that rose sharply during the 2023 unwinding.
North Carolina became the 40th expansion state on December 1, 2023 under HB 76 (2023), signed by Governor Cooper after a decade of gridlock. In its first year, expansion enrolled more than 545,000 North Carolinians, roughly a third of whom are Black residents.
For enrollment help: look for your state's Navigator program (federally funded under the ACA), a Federally Qualified Health Center in your county (every FQHC has certified application counselors on staff), or one of the named community organizations below. Our FQHC directory filters to this state at /clinics/nc/.
More on North Carolina from Black Health
FQHCs
Federally Qualified Health Centers in North Carolina
Sliding-scale clinics that take Medicaid + help with applications.
Providers
Providers who accept Medicaid in North Carolina
Filter our directory to North Carolina by specialty.
Health data
Black Health outcomes in North Carolina
Maternal mortality, life expectancy, uninsured rate by race.
Data sources
- NC Medicaid — state Medicaid portal.
- KFF State Health Facts, Medicaid income eligibility + expansion + enrollment tables (kff.org/statedata).
- National Health Law Program doula Medicaid project (healthlaw.org/doulamedicaidproject).
- March of Dimes Report Card, 12-month postpartum extension tracker (marchofdimes.org/report-card).
- CMS T-MSIS Analytic Files, Medicaid enrollment by race and ethnicity (medicaid.gov/dq-atlas).
- HHS Poverty Guidelines, 2025 Federal Register release.
Data refreshed: