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Primary Sponsor

Last Action

Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget2026-04-30

Vote Breakdown

No floor votes recorded.

Plain Language Summary

This bill establishes a comprehensive framework to address menopause in North Carolina through four main components: funding menopause research and education, providing tax incentives for doctors to take menopause training, requiring health insurance and Medicaid to cover menopause-related care without cost-sharing, and protecting workers from discrimination based on menopause-related conditions.

Arguments in Favor

• •Supporters argue this bill addresses a significant gap in healthcare and workplace protections affecting roughly half the population during their working years.
• •They contend the bill improves medical knowledge about menopause, ensures access to treatment options (hormonal and non-hormonal), and protects workers experiencing menopause symptoms from discrimination and lack of reasonable accommodations.
• •Proponents also highlight that the bill includes protections for underserved populations and requires insurers to offer coverage without restrictive barriers.

Arguments Against

• •Opponents may argue the bill imposes significant costs on the state ($5 million for research and $500,000 for implementation) and on insurers through mandatory coverage expansions without cost-sharing that could increase insurance premiums.
• •Some may contend the employment protections are overly broad or create administrative burdens for small employers, or that certain menopause treatments lack sufficient clinical evidence.
• •Critics might also question whether some provisions duplicate existing protections under disability or sex discrimination laws.