• 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  • Will not be published
  • Will not be published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 All other address information will NOT be published or shared.
  • Will not be published.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.

Closing Coverage Gaps to Promote Successful Prison Re-entry for Persons with Mental Illness

November 17, 2020 by Hailey Gutzmer Leave a Comment

By Marvin Swartz, MD

The United States has the largest prison population in the world, with over 2.3 million people incarcerated. It is estimated that 8% to 20% of the prison population has a severe mental illness   and persons with mental illness are three times more likely to be incarcerated, compared with the general population. One key element of successful re-entry of incarcerated persons with severe mental illness is ongoing mental health treatment after release. But how to pay for needed treatment, including sometimes expensive medications?

Almost all incarcerated persons with severe mental illness depend on Medicaid coverage or by unreimbursed charity care if uninsured. Medicaid coverage is usually be suspended after only a   month in jail or prison. After 12 months of suspension, coverage can be completely terminated. According to a recent survey two-thirds of the states terminate Medicaid benefits and about one-fifth suspend benefits after 12 months. Given that the average duration of a prison sentence is over 2 years, most prison inmates have either lost or been suspended from Medicaid before they are released.

Enrollment in some form of health insurance upon release is crucial for access to effective care. Several states have initiated successful programs to expedite enrollment or re-enrollment of persons eligible for Medicaid on their release and follow up studies have shown a marked uptick in access to treatment as a result. 

North Carolina has two distinct opportunities to close coverage gaps on re-entry. One is to launch a state-wide program to expedite Medicaid re-enrollment and assist previously eligible unenrolled persons to enroll in Medicaid upon leaving prison. Some North Carolina counties have made a start on this, but a state-wide program is needed. In a growing number of states case managers are deployed to reach into prisons to assist in this process. 

The second major opportunity would come with Medicaid expansion. States that have expanded Medicaid to adults with incomes below 138 percent of the federal poverty level, have created a significant opportunity to provide coverage to people after their release from jail or prison.  A recent study estimated that with the implementation of health reform, up to 33.6 percent of inmates released annually could enroll in Medicaid. 

The revolving door for justice-involved persons with severe mental illness is pernicious. North Carolina could make great strides in closing the revolving door by closing these coverage gaps.

[Marvin S. Swartz, M.D., is Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke and a Faculty Member at the Wilson Center for Science and Justice at the Duke School of Law. Dr. Swartz has been extensively involved in research and policy issues related to the organization and care of mentally ill individuals at the state and national level.]  

Category iconUpdates Tag iconCoverage Gap,  Criminal Justice,  Mental Health / Substance Abuse

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