(RALEIGH) -- Governor Pat McCrory is weighing a decision about whether to expand MEDICAID to half a million more uninsured North Carolinians.

He told county commissioners from around the state on Friday he's looking at both the short and long-term consequences of covering more people under the program.

"So We're doing a total evaluation. Not only if we should do it now, but what are the long term implications between now and ten and twenty years from now."

The federal government would pick up the tab initially, but one report shows the expansion could cost more than 800 million dollars by 2019.