Freedom Focus
Freedom Focus
Health Care
Focusing on creating and pushing legislation that secures a free, competitive health care market for North Carolinians.
Research Brief
Health Care
How NC legislators can provide relief for unaffordable health care costs
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, has been a disaster. Rather than becoming “affordable” as promised, health care costs have risen dramatically. Insurance premiums have skyrocketed even…
Health Care
The disingenuous fearmongering of Josh Stein on Medicaid
Stein is putting care for North Carolina’s most needy at risk in a cynical ploy to score political points. We shouldn’t let him get away with it.
Research Brief
Health Care
Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts: When asset protection becomes taxpayer exploitation
Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts (MAPTs) are increasingly being used by affluent families to shield wealth and shift the cost of long-term care onto taxpayers. Instead of drawing down their resources,…
Budget, Taxation & Economy
Medicaid for millionaires
By design, expansion ignores assets, allowing even the wealthiest individuals to qualify so long as their reported income is low enough. Meanwhile, the vulnerable groups that Medicaid was designed to…
Health Care
State budget discussions should include CON repeal
While the main budgetary sticking point between the House and Senate is their differences on tax reform, there’s an important issue that could go a long way toward making healthcare…
Health Care
Freeing up NC’s nurses would increase healthcare access
North Carolina is one of just 13 states placing this unnecessary requirement on nurse practitioners.
Research Brief
Health Care
The General Assembly should repeal North Carolina’s pernicious and unconstitutional Certificate of Need law
The Certificate of Need Law harms patients, insurers, and taxpayers North Carolina’s Certificate of Need law artificially restricts the supply of medical services in two ways. First, it requires service…
Research Brief
Budget, Taxation & Economy
Senate budget proposal: Lower income taxes, replenished savings, and reduced regulation
Earlier this week, the state Senate introduced its biennial budget proposal for 2025–27, recommending $32.6 billion in net General Fund appropriations for fiscal year (FY) 2026. This allotment would represent…
Research Brief
Budget, Taxation & Economy
Medicaid Expansion: Fiscally Irresponsible and Morally Questionable
After holding off for 13 years, in December 2023, North Carolina became the 40th state to implement Medicaid expansion, extending Medicaid coverage to healthy adults with incomes up to 138 percent…
Health Care
Telemedicine
Introduction Telemedicine is a leading innovation that has proven to expedite the delivery of health care. Telemedicine is the use of technology to deliver health care, health information, or health…
Health Care
Scope-of-Practice Reform
Introduction For patients living in rural North Carolina, quality health care can be hard to find. Currently, more than 2.3 million people — one-fifth of the state’s population — live…
Health Care
Medicaid Expansion
Introduction Medicaid is a program funded jointly by the state and federal governments. Its core functions include paying medical providers for health care services rendered to society’s most vulnerable: the…