Health insurance bill will be law without Cooper's signature

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Gov. Roy Cooper will let a bipartisan health insurance measure become law without his signature.

Cooper, a Democrat, had until midnight Sunday to sign the bill, veto it or let it become law without his signature.

It was pushed through the legislature with help from several of North Carolina's largest trade organizations.

Supporters say Association Health Plans will make coverage more affordable to people like farmers and small business owners.

But Cooper says he has concerns about the legality of these "cheaper plans." He says they could take the state back to a time when "people can be discriminated against for pre-existing conditions."

Cooper vetoed a budget bill earlier in the summer in large part due to health insurance coverage — namely the absence of Medicaid expansion.