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Advocates say North Carolina's mental health care system would improve by providing more care in community and home-based settings. But an "institutional bias" in the state means that likely won't happen for years, or even decades.

A firsthand account of life inside psychiatric residential treatment facilities reveals how these care centers can do more harm than good.

A ¼ª²ÊÍøÍøÕ¾ investigation into the state's two-dozen psychiatric residential treatment facilities finds dozens of examples of neglect or abuse of children with severe mental and behavioral health needs.

An estimated 80% of people reentering the community from prison are newly eligible for Medicaid. Expanded coverage could boost reentry success as people have more consistent medical care.

Tens of thousands of beneficiaries with extensive care needs are expected to be moved to tailored plans on July 1.

Medicaid expansion goes live in North Carolina today, opening up the government-run health insurance program to hundreds of thousands of low income adults.

North Carolina legislators passed — and Gov. Roy Cooper signed — a Medicaid expansion law earlier this year. The move will bring health insurance to some 600,000 low-income North Carolinians beginning Dec. 1. For some patients and providers, expansion can’t come soon enough.

The state budget includes a long-requested rate increase for private duty nursing, but advocates say it will take more to recruit enough nurses to care for complex patients.

For a few hours this week, it seemed like Medicaid expansion would not become a reality in North Carolina. But with final votes on the state budget expected before the weekend, health equity advocates are again optimistic.

N.C. Department of Health and Human Services will have to delay the expansion of Medicaid. Secretary Kody Kinsley says this delay comes because the General Assembly has not yet passed a budget.