¶ Overview
Whatley opposed North Carolina’s 2019 Medicaid expansion claiming that it was “socialized healthcare.” North Carolina’s Medicaid expansion provided healthcare to 650,000 North Carolinians with 1 in 3 Enrollees from North Carolina’s rural communities.
Whatley opposed the Affordable Care Act and claimed that it didn’t work. Whatley claimed that there needed to be “market-driven solutions on healthcare.” As of 2016, a repeal of the Affordable Care Act would’ve resulted in more than 1 million North Carolinians losing their health coverage.
¶ Whatley Opposed Medicaid Expansion
¶ Whatley Opposed North Carolina’s Medicaid Expansion
Whatley Claimed That Cooper Held North Carolina Hostage “In Order To Try To Expand Socialized Healthcare.” Michael Whatley posted, “Great column by @JonHardister. Governor Cooper has chosen to hold NC hostage by vetoing a strong bipartisan budget bill which would help students, teachers and law enforcement in order to try to expand socialized healthcare.” [Twitter, @ChairmanWhatley, 8/22/19]
¶ North Carolina’s Medicaid Expansion Provided Healthcare To 650,000 People
North Carolina’s Medicaid Expansion Provided Healthcare To 650,000 People. According to a press release from the North Carolina Department Of Health And Human Services, “Governor Josh Stein announced that as of today, 650,000 newly eligible North Carolinians have gained access to affordable health care through Medicaid expansion, including veterans and workers in child care, construction, hospitality, home health care and other industries essential to the state.” [Press Release – North Carolina Department Of Health And Human Services, 4/9/25]
¶ The Expansion Was Popular In Rural Areas
The Expansion Was Popular In Rural Areas. According to NC Health News, “The measure has been particularly popular in rural areas, where residents are less likely to have health insurance and access to care is often limited.” [NC Health News, 3/5/25]
1 In 3 Of People Who Were Enrolled Due To The Expansion Were From Rural Communities. According to a press release from the North Carolina Department Of Health And Human Services, “233,000+ members of rural communities, more than one in three of all newly eligible people, who may not otherwise have access to health care, enrolled in Medicaid.” [Press Release – North Carolina Department Of Health And Human Services, 4/9/25]
¶ Whatley Supported Repealing The Affordable Care Act
¶ Whatley Claimed That The Promises Of The ACA Were Built On “Lies” And That He Supported A Healthcare Plan Based On “Market Principles”
[AUDIO] Whatley Claimed That The Promises Of Obamacare Were “Proven To Be Lies” And That He Wanted To Find “A Way To Let Market Principles Work.” “And it is there's you know, it's easy to say that all of the promises that the Democrats made when they passed Obamacare have proven to be lies. It's easy to say you guys promised that rates were going to go down. They didn't go down. They've gone up tremendously. We look at the rates here in North Carolina while Roy Cooper was in office, went up 25, 30, 40%. Right. It's easy to throw those rocks. The question is what are we going to do to try and reduce it? You know, I talked to two guy who runs the Eastern Carolina hospital and medical school. He said that for every five people that he hires, three of them are accountants and lawyers. Two of them are doctors and nurses. That's pretty screwed up. The red tape on all of this stuff is absolutely ridiculous. So we've got to find a way to let market principles work and we've got to find a way that we can cut the red tape and bureaucracy and get these health care costs down. And I am very, very concerned about what we're talking about with the health care premiums going up the way things are projected. That's a real problem.” [Wilkes County GOP, 10/25/25]
[AUDIO] Whatley Claimed That Since ACA Passage, Costs Went “Through The Roof” And That We Need To “Get Back To Market Driven Solutions On Healthcare.” “But when you look at structurally what has happened since they passed Obamacare, prices have absolutely gone through the roof. We need to get the government out of the way and get back to market driven solutions on health care.” [Wilkow Majority, 11/12/25]
- Whatley Claimed That Since The ACA Passed, Prices Went Through The Roof And That “We Need To Get The Government Out Of The Way And Get Back To Market-Driven Solutions On Healthcare.” According to the American Journal News, “Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley appeared to call for the elimination of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which provides health insurance to nearly 1 million North Carolinians. ‘When you look at structurally what has happened since they passed Obamacare, prices have absolutely gone through the roof,’ Whatley said in a Nov. 12 radio interview. ‘We need to get the government out of the way and get back to market-driven solutions on health care.’” [American Journal News, 11/21/25]
¶ Whatley Claimed That Healthcare Costs Went Up After The ACA
[VIDEO] Whatley Claimed That “Obamacare Doesn’t Work” And That Healthcare Costs Went Up. “Look, Obamacare doesn't work, all right? And for the Democrats who said that Obamacare was going to bring down health care costs. They lied. They said that you could keep your doctor. They lied. Right? Obamacare costs have gone up. Health care costs have gone up.” [Newsmax TV: Wake Up America, 11/13/25]
[AUDIO] Whatley Claimed That “Obamacare Did Not Work” And That Democrats Lied About Healthcare Costs Going Down. “Look, Obamacare did not work. You know, Obama said, and the Democrats said, you can keep your doctors. They lied. They said that healthcare costs were going to go down. They lied. The fact that these, uh, subsidies right now are the only thing. That are allowing folks to be able to afford the, the, the Obamacare premiums, uh, is, is a real problem and we're gonna have to figure this out and it's gonna take a rational conversation.” [Brian Kilmeade Show, 11/12/25]
[AUDIO] Whatley Claimed That Obamacare Has Not Done Anything To Bring Healthcare Prices Down And That Obamacare Was The Reason Premiums Went Up. “Well, the premiums went up because of Obamacare. Uh, premiums went up during the eight years that my opponent, Roy Cooper, was the governor of North Carolina. Um, and, and what we have seen, uh, across every. Uh, perspective is rates are going up and just subsidizing it. The way that Obamacare has done has not done anything to bring those prices down.” [Brian Kilmeade Show, 11/12/25]
¶ As Of 2016, More Then 1 Million North Carolinians Could Lose Health Coverage If The Affordable Care Act Was Repealed
As Of 2016, More Then 1 Million North Carolinians Could Lose Health Coverage If The Affordable Care Act Was Repealed. According to the Center On Budget And Policy Priorities, “ 1 million fewer people in North Carolina would have health insurance in2019 if the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is repealed, new Urban Institute estimates show.” [Center On Budget And Policy Priorities, 12/7/16]