Voters Peg Health as Top Election Issue, with Majorities Deeply Worried Over Lasting Impact of COVID-19
In Addition to Statewide Results, NC Senate Districts 1, 11, 24 & 31 Specifically Polled
(RALEIGH, N.C.) – September 9, 2020 – Transcending party lines, a new statewide poll finds strong and growing support for closing North Carolina’s health care coverage gap among voters of all political stripes.
The survey of registered voters, conducted by Harper Polling and The Stewart Group from August 26-27, found that a whopping 75% of North Carolinians want to close our deadly health insurance coverage gap, while only 16% oppose closing the gap, according to Dee Stewart, who served as project manager for the statewide survey.
Support for closing the coverage gap is strong across the political spectrum, with 64% of self-identified Republicans, 76% of unaffiliated voters, and 83% of Democrats favoring closing the gap. Even among voters identifying themselves as Very Conservative, an overwhelming 60% favor closing the coverage gap, while only 22% oppose it.
Please find a slide presentation of the poll’s key statewide findings here: https://care4carolina.com/polling-results-august-2020/
You can download the entire presentation — including results for NC Senate districts 1 (Dare, Currituck), 11 (Nash, Clayton), 24 (Alamance, Guilford) and 31 (Davie, Forsyth) — here: https://care4carolina.com/resources/poll-findings-august-2020/
To watch the video presentation of the poll results, use passcode 6Tgs2JJ? at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/WZER4qkI_Z4dkz3_uvZbOucwlGeuMMU7gNuk6GXviQvPIlyHrJ4g_YEcmj_IIe1g.cwL7Bpi5NVcLuNDh
For help, please contact care4carolina@gmail.com.
What is the ‘Coverage Gap’?
The “coverage gap” refers to people who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to get help in the private insurance marketplace. Prior to COVID-19, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) estimated that if North Carolina closed its coverage gap, over 400,000 North Carolinians would gain health insurance.
Now, in the midst of the health and economic havoc wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, KFF reports that the number has grown by well over 200,000. Closing the gap hinges on expanding Medicaid, as voters in conservative Oklahoma and Missouri recently approved through ballot initiatives. North Carolina remains one of just 12 states that have opted not to make this move.
Key Findings
Other key findings of the statewide poll include the following:
- Voters see dealing with COVID-19 as the most important election issue of the 2020 cycle, followed by a second tier of unemployment/jobs, education, and civil unrest and social justice issues.
- A solid majority of respondents say the COVID-19 pandemic has made them more concerned about the number of uninsured or under-insured North Carolinians.
- 78% believe COVID-19 will have a long lasting negative impact on the well being of our people and our economy.
- By a nearly 2-1 margin, 61%-31%, voters believe that closing the coverage gap will be an important issue in the upcoming election.
Methodology
Care4Carolina — a coalition of 65 member organizations supporting affordable, quality health care in North Carolina including patient advocates, businesses, and other groups across the state — commissioned the poll.
The sample size for the survey is 612 registered voters in North Carolina and the margin of error is +/-3.96% at a 95% confidence interval, meaning that if this survey were repeated, results would not vary from the population by more than 3.96 percentage points 19 times out of 20.
Responses were gathered via landline and mobile telephone interviews conducted by live callers at a professional call center. Demographics were adjusted to reflect the population from which the sample was drawn. The survey was conducted August 26-27, 2020 by Harper Polling. The total percentages of responses may not equal 100% due to rounding.
Spokespeople
The following spokespeople are available for one-on-one interviews. To arrange an interview, please send your request, including contact information and date/time preferences to care4carolina@gmail.com:
- Patrick Woodie, President, NC Rural Center
- Dr. David Huang, stroke specialist in Chapel Hill and member of American Heart Association Southeast Region Board of Directors
- Adrienne-Hayes Singleton, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)
- Peg O’Connell, Chairman, Care4Carolina
Quotes
NC Rural Center
“The results of this poll confirm what we at the NC Rural Center have known for a while: that closing the health insurance coverage gap is a moral and economic imperative, and in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, now more than ever is the time for decisive action. Not only would closing the coverage gap stabilize North Carolina’s rural health care infrastructure, it would also generate thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue for local governments. More importantly, it would ensure that people who have lost their jobs and healthcare as a result of the pandemic can continue to receive essential care in a time of dire need.”
- Patrick Woodie, President, NC Rural Center
Care4Carolina
“Voters throughout North Carolina are unequivocally calling on legislators and other public officials to close the health insurance coverage gap. With almost 3,000 North Carolinians who’ve died from COVID-19, over 178,000 cases reported and unemployment at all time highs, it’s not surprising that voters expect their elected representatives to take every step to help.”
- Peg O’Connell, Chairman, Care4Carolina
Medical Expert
“This poll tells us that the people of North Carolina want and expect our legislature to take action. Now is the time to close the health insurance coverage gap to protect North Carolinians’ health and wellbeing.
Closing the gap is essential to increasing access to health care so that North Carolina residents can get the preventative and acute care they need. Prior to COVID, we already saw patients who delayed primary care because of lack of insurance and then suffered from a stroke. In a year without COVID-19, about 795,000 people in the U.S. have a stroke. That’s about one every 40 seconds.
Access to care is even more important during COVID, since so many essential workers, often uninsured, are more likely to be exposed to COVID-19. In addition, elderly people with cardiovascular disease or hypertension are more likely to be infected and develop complications from the virus. Without health insurance, families will be ruined by a lengthy hospital stay.”
- Dr. David Huang, stroke specialist in Chapel Hill and member of American Heart Association Southeast Region Board of Directors
A Working Mom in NC’s Coverage Gap
Adrienne-Hayes Singleton is a volunteer with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and mom who works full-time at a small faith-based child care center in Wilmington, NC. Her husband Tyshawne works as a security guard and gets his health insurance through the Veterans Administration, but Adrienne doesn’t qualify for coverage under his VA benefits.
Adrienne’s job doesn’t offer health insurance, and she doesn’t make enough money to qualify for assistance to help her pay for private health insurance. With a family history of cancer, this means Adrienne isn’t able to access the primary or preventive care she needs. Although her diabetes is under control through diet and exercise, she and her family worry about needing an emergency check-up or medication that they won’t receive due to a lack of healthcare coverage.
Adrienne’s sister passed away from colon cancer in January of 2017. Although she owned her own hair salon, she too fell within the health coverage gap — not qualifying for Medicaid or making enough to pay for private insurance.
Says Adrienne, “I truly believe if my sister had health insurance she would be alive today. I worry about my health because of my lack of coverage and what it would mean for my family. Closing the gap means better health not just for me, but for the thousands of other hard-working North Carolinians that desperately need care.”
“We need to expand access and eligibility to Medicaid so North Carolinians can get the care they need, particularly to address the economic hardships faced by the growing number of uninsured families across the state.”
For more information, please contact www.care4carolina.com.
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