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Primary Sponsor

Last Action

Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House2025-09-22

Vote Breakdown

Plain Language Summary

This bill has two main parts: it prohibits Planned Parenthood from participating in North Carolina's Medicaid program, and it establishes new billing transparency and collections practices for hospitals and ambulatory surgical facilities. The billing provisions require hospitals to provide itemized cost estimates for scheduled services, limit final bills to within 5% of the estimate, and prohibit sending bills to collections without first providing an itemized breakdown.

Arguments in Favor

• •Supporters argue this bill aligns North Carolina with federal policy and the Supreme Court ruling allowing states to exclude Planned Parenthood from Medicaid, ensuring taxpayer funds are used in accordance with their values regarding abortion.
• •On the billing side, supporters contend that requiring cost transparency and estimates helps patients make informed medical decisions and protects them from unexpected hospital bills, addressing a major source of medical debt and financial hardship.

Arguments Against

• •Opponents argue that defunding Planned Parenthood limits access to healthcare services like cancer screenings, contraception, and STI testing for low-income North Carolinians who rely on Medicaid, and that the organization uses Medicaid funding only for non-abortion services.
• •Critics of the billing provisions worry that 5% price caps may burden hospitals financially, potentially reducing services or quality of care, and that the good-faith estimate requirements create administrative costs that could be passed to patients or insurance companies.