Medicaid Expansion in North Carolina
On March 27, 2023, Governor Roy Cooper signed bipartisan House Bill 76, Access to Healthcare Options, into law, making North Carolina the 40th state to expand Medicaid. It was hailed as a once-in-a-generation investment that would help approximately 600,000 North Carolinians have access to NC Medicaid through expansion in its first two years alone. A little over a year since the day expansion launched (Dec. 1, 2023)—twice as fast as projected—North Carolina delivered on that promise.
NCDHHS, NC Medicaid, Neimand Collaborative and partners across the state worked together to achieve this incredible milestone through rooting all communications and outreach in motivational research, aligning communications with operations, reaching people where they are through culturally and linguistically appropriate messaging and developing strategy and materials with partners from communities across the state.
Bilingual materials were built in to every wave of the NC Medicaid for More People campaign, and utilized by community organizers and stakeholders alike to spread the word about expansion.
Solution
Our campaign was rooted in research to understand the motivations and barriers to enrolling in Medicaid. We found that North Carolinians knew Medicaid, wanted it and trusted NCDHHS to deliver it. Medicaid sold itself, which drove the brand: NC Medicaid for More People. Then we launched a comprehensive strategy that aligned communications with operations; valued and resourced the talent and expertise of advocates, community organizations, providers and influencers as trusted messengers; implemented a web strategy driven by user testing and using easy-to-understand language; reached people where they were through events and live telephone halls; created culturally and linguistically appropriate messaging, strategies and materials; and used organic and earned paid media. This project was done in coordination with our incredible partners: Artemis Strategy Group, Oak Hill Strategies, SeeBoundless and the AC&M Group.
Our campaign—NC Medicaid for More People—started from a place of strength. Seven in ten North Carolinians covered by NC Medicaid viewed it positively and most North Carolinians (76%) were familiar with Medicaid. Our job was to make sure people knew who was eligible and how to apply. This report tells the story of how Neimand Collaborative partnered with North Carolina to make that happen. While the numbers above highlight the tangible reach of the campaign, its success lies in the deeper connections and relationships and the intentional strategy, described in the report linked below.
Impact
Our campaign—NC Medicaid for More People—started from a place of strength. Seven in ten North Carolinians covered by NC Medicaid viewed it positively and most North Carolinians (76%) were familiar with Medicaid. Our job was to make sure people knew who was eligible and how to apply. In a little over the first year of expansion, more than 600,000 North Carolinians got affordable health coverage.
Along the way:
- 476 community leaders were trained to deliver our Medicaid Essentials presentation
- 2.1 million people visited the website between September 2023 and December 2024
- Spanish traffic to NC Medicaid pages increased five times
- More than 123,800 people participated in English and Spanish livestreamed tele-townhalls
- We produced more than 125 pieces of content for television, digital, radio and social media
- 1,850 organizations across the state received bilingual materials at no cost to them to distribute in their communities
Our partnership with NC Medicaid to reach its bold goal in record time can serve as a model for any group that is looking to effectively reach, engage and motivate people to act.
Medicaid Expansion in North Carolina: The First Year
Medicaid expansion was hailed as a once-in-a-generation investment that would help approximately 600,000 North Carolinians have access to affordable health coverage in its first two years alone. A little over a year since the day expansion launched (Dec. 1, 2023)—twice as fast as projected—NC delivered on that promise. This video highlights how NCDHHS, NC Medicaid, partners across the state and Neimand Collaborative helped achieve this incredible milestone and shared the stories of those who now have access to affordable health care.
Services
Creative Implementation
Message & Brand Development
Research & Analysis
Strategy & Campaigns