RALEIGH, N.C. (WITN) -The NC House voted 96-23 Wednesday for a measure that will expand Medicaid.

House Bill 76, known as “Access to Healthcare Options,” would extend Medicaid coverage to the hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians who are not currently eligible for Medicaid and have a household income equal to or less than 133% of the federal poverty level.

House Speaker Tim Moore said, “This bill would extend coverage to hundreds of thousands of hard-working North Carolinians for which healthcare is still too costly for them to afford. This legislation also addresses the pressing mental health and behavioral health concerns in our state, using federal dollars already allocated for this purpose.”

“Passing Medicaid Expansion is long overdue,” said Pitt County Democratic Representative Gloristine Brown. “Everyone in Pitt County knows just how critical our hospital is to our community, and providing ECU Health the necessary resources to continue serving us is both the moral and financially prudent thing to do.”

The NC Senate is working on similar legislation.