• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Care4Carolina

Care4Carolina

Expanding access. Enhancing prosperity.

  • About
    • Overview
    • Member Organizations
    • Steering Committee
    • Business Advisory Council
    • Business Leader & Business Owner Supporters
    • Civic Leaders
    • Faith Community & Leaders
  • Updates
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Submit Event to the Community Calendar
  • Resources
    • Browse All Resources
    • In the News
  • Map
  • Act Now
  • Donate

Sign as a Business Leader

As a North Carolina business leader, I endorse the following statement:

We, as North Carolina business leaders, understand that a strong economy and a thriving workforce require healthy families. Right now, too many hard-working families are uninsured. In fact, about two-thirds of all uninsured adults in North Carolina work. They are construction workers, farmers, child care providers, and even veterans. We urge the North Carolina General Assembly to achieve a bi-partisan solution to close the health insurance coverage gap. Now is the time to act. There are proposals on the table that would require no investment of state tax dollars and closing the gap would create an estimated 37,000 jobs and billions in economic activity. Much of this economic activity would benefit our rural communities and other areas most in need of an economic boost. Closing the health insurance coverage gap is a good deal for the health of North Carolina families and for our economy. We urge you to work together and achieve a policy solution that closes the health insurance coverage gap.

Business Leaders for Closing the Coverage Gap

By signing this statement you are granting permission to Care4Carolina to publicize your endorsement. Your personal information will only be used for the purposes of this public endorsement statement and will not be shared with any other entity. Personal contact information will not be shared in endorsement statements listings or ads. Employer affiliation will be used for identification purposes only. For example: “Mr./Ms./Mrs. John Doe, CEO, ABC Corporation*; Anytown, NC”.

  • Will not be published
  • Will not be published
  • Will be published
  • Will be published
  • Only your CITY will be published. All other address information will NOT be published or shared.
  • Will not be published.
  • Hidden
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign as an Individual

  • Hidden
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign as an Organization

  • Will be published
  • Will not be published
  • Will not be published
  • Will not be published
  • Will not be published
  • Will not be published
  • Will not be published
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign as a Civic Leader

  • Hidden
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign as a Faith Community

Faith Leaders Addendum

As a North Carolina faith leader/ community of faith, I/we endorse the following statement:

We, as people of faith in North Carolina, believe that the Lord brings good news to the poor, binds up the broken-hearted, and comforts all those who mourn. We believe that when we work to ease the burdens of our neighbors who are struggling the most, we are caring for God. And, we believe we are called to follow our God by doing good, not only in the halls of our congregations, but by seeking justice in the wider world.

That means we cannot stand silent when presented with the opportunity to provide healthcare coverage for hundreds of thousands of our brothers and sisters. We understand that a community cannot flourish while its people lack access to affordable, quality healthcare. Healthy families are the bedrock of our communities of faith and of our local economies. Uninsured North Carolinians include members of our congregations, pastors, child care providers, farmers, construction workers, small business owners, neighbors, and friends. We urge the North Carolina General Assembly to work together across bi-partisan lines to close the health insurance coverage gap for all of these children of God.

Signing Disclosure

By signing this statement you are granting permission to Care4Carolina to publicize your endorsement. Your personal information will only be used for the purposes of this public endorsement statement and will not be shared with any other entity. Personal contact information will not be shared in endorsement statements, listings, or ads. Employer information will be used for identification purposes only. For example: “Rev. John Doe, Pastor, ABC Church, Anytown, NC.”

  • Will be published
  • Will be published if signing as individual
  • Will be published if signing as individual
  • Will not be published
  • Will not be published
  • Will not be published
  • Will not be published
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign as a Grassroots Group

As legislation progresses to enact a North Carolina solution to close the health insurance coverage gap, it is critical that we have a grassroots team ready to mobilize. By signing up as a member of the Care4Carolina Grassroots Action Network, you agree to activate your group/organization when action is requested during the campaign. Action requests may include but are not limited to reaching out to legislators, sharing posts on social media, and relaying information to other contacts.

Your work as a grassroots group/organization is essential to our efforts, and Care4Carolina appreciates your support in ensuring that our mission is achieved. Together, we will find a North Carolina solution to close the health insurance coverage gap.

*By signing on as a member of the Care4Carolina Grassroots Action Network, your group/organization’s information will not be shared externally. The information collected through this form is for internal use only.

  • Will not be published
  • Will not be published
  • Will not be published
  • Will not be published
  • Will not be published
  • Will not be published
  • Will not be published
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Why are we punishing working parents?

December 8, 2020 by Hailey Gutzmer Leave a Comment

By Erica Palmer Smith, Director of Care4Carolina

After I gave birth to my beautiful baby girl three years ago, there was one thing I never had to worry about – making sure we both had access to quality healthcare.  My husband and I were blessed with careers that provided great health insurance benefits, and affordability was never an issue.  

I am much luckier than so many others.  I have watched family and friends struggle to afford health insurance.  I’ve seen their health deteriorate as they lacked the options that I could too easily take for granted.  

Right now, our safety net system is set up to punish parents for working too hard to improve the lives of their families.  There is a misconception that all parents living in poverty have access to Medicaid.  They don’t.  If a parent earns more than 42% of the federal poverty line, they no longer qualify for Medicaid, but until their income rises above the poverty line, they can’t get a subsidy in the private marketplace.  The single mom that takes on the second retail job to get ahead loses her health coverage.  The dad who works full-time while his wife stays home to care for their children with special needs… neither of them have health insurance.  

For a family of two, 42% of the federal poverty line is $7,220.  If a single mom with a child works 20 hours a week part-time, she’s earning too much to qualify for Medicaid.  If she works 40 hours a week at the same pay, she cannot make enough qualify for a subsidy in the private marketplace.  For a 30-something woman in Alexander County (where I grew up), the LEAST expensive marketplace plan is $359 a month with no subsidy.  That’s a third of her pre-tax income… and it comes with an $8,550 deductible.  

The parents in a family of four making just over $11,400 are locked out of affordable health insurance options until they can earn $26,200 annually.  Two parents working a combined 70 hours a week at minimum wage fall in the gap.  A single parent earning $12 an hour full-time falls in the gap. 

Over 400,000 North Carolina children have at least one uninsured parent.  For their sake, it’s time we stop punishing parents for working to take care of their families.  This holiday season, as we buy gifts of clothing and toys for children in need, let’s remember what they want and need most of all: loving and healthy moms and dads.  

Category iconUpdates Tag iconCoverage Gap,  Infants and Children,  Parents

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow Care4Carolina

Footer

Contact

5001 S Miami Blvd
Suite 300
Durham, NC 27703
Email: info@care4carolina.com

Key Links

  • About
  • Updates
  • Resources
  • News Articles

Act Now

Care4Carolina believes that access to quality, affordable health care helps build a healthier, stronger North Carolina.

Act Now

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2023 Care4Carolina · All Rights Reserved

Website by Tomatillo Design