As we emerge from the COVID-19 lockdown and embark on a massive economic recovery effort, making sure that hard working North Carolinians have access to safe and affordable health care so they can stay on the job and support their families is more important than ever. Closing our state’s health care coverage gap is a priority for hundreds of thousands of parents, veterans, voters.
Our state’s unprecedented $7 billion budget surplus gives policy makers more than ample room at long last to fix our health insurance problems, and the Care4Carolina coalition of 100+ organizations around the state will continue to call on senators and other elected officials to seize the opportunity and close the coverage gap.
The budgeting process is ongoing, and we know there are many voices — from business groups to faith leaders to health care advocates — urging elected officials to help constituents struggling with insurance. We know, too, that many legislators of both parties are listening.
Thirty eight other states have chosen to close the gap by expanding Medicaid, and the available federal-state deal to do so is highly favorable to North Carolina.
Senate leaders have worked hard to make this budget surplus a reality, and we hope they will now use some of the funds to help hard working North Carolinians.
-Erica Smith, Executive Director, Care4Carolina