RALEIGH, N.C. -- A new conversation could be happening about a long brewing battle over Medicaid expansion in North Carolina.

• For years, democrats have made the issue a top priority with republicans repeatedly raising red flags over cost.
• There has been a hard line in the sand from many republicans on this issue, but now more compromise is expected.
• It is expected Gov. Roy Cooper will include some sort of Medicaid expansion in his budget proposal in March.

For years, democrats have made the issue a top priority with republicans repeatedly raising red flags over cost. There is now a new dynamic in state government that could be enough to tip the scales on the issue.

Republicans have held supermajorities in the legislature up until last week, making the actual debate over the issue somewhat muted. In general, many conservative leaders have shown no desire to increase the program that provides health coverage for low income adults, children and others.

“I have yet to see a specific proposal on Medicaid expansion that in my view does not create significant fiscal hurdles for the state down the road,” said Sen. Phil Berger, the republican senate president pro-tem. “And that for me is kind of the key to that."

There has been a hard line in the sand from many republicans on this issue, but now more compromise is expected.

“What we don't want to do is simply expand just a handout and be a discouragement for folks to get jobs or get employment,” said NC Speaker of the House Tim Moore. “But if there is something we can do to help the working poor, I think that's something we ought to try to do. "

For democratic leaders, they say this is an issue extremely important to them.

"At the very top of the list, we want to make sure that we expand Medicaid here in the state of North Carolina," said Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, a Wake County democrat.

It is expected Gov. Roy Cooper will include some sort of Medicaid expansion in his budget proposal in March. But how much and how much it would be considered is still uncertain -- nevertheless he says it is time for the two sides to talk.

"It is critical to expand access to North Carolinians,” said Cooper. “I think when you look at the campaigns that republicans and democrats ran, healthcare was a major issue. There are a lot of republican candidates who supported Medicaid expansion. So I am hoping we can find ways to get more people healthcare, and we draw down those federal dollars to help us with that healthcare. "