Jaymie Baxley

Other top stories in 2025 ranged from mental health and Medicaid to federal food aid cuts and State Health Plan changes.

NC Health News reporters share some of the top health care issues facing North Carolinians in the new year.

Martin County has been without a hospital since 2023. A $220M plan aims to make it home to North Carolina's first Rural Emergency Hospital.

The Southern Pines Fire Department and surrounding fire departments are advising residents on the southern end of the county that, due to an ongoing fire, drift smoke my be present into the evening.

The long-awaited Medicaid deal, if passed, would keep expansion largely intact. But immigrant advocates say new immigration provisions could push families away from care, putting U.S.-born children at risk.

Families say ABA has been life-changing. But a surge in Medicaid spending — and questions about who's collecting it — has drawn scrutiny.

by Jaymie Baxley and Jennifer Fernandez, North Carolina Health News April 29, 2026 By Jaymie Baxley and Jennifer Fernandez

About 10 percent of county social services positions dedicated to Medicaid are currently vacant, even as recertification work will double.

From Outer Banks to tobacco-belt communities, county officials say those most likely to lose coverage are the ones working hardest to get by.

Former Healthy Opportunities Pilot leaders launch new rural health efforts while pushing lawmakers to restore direct service funding.