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  • Will not be published
  • Will not be published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 All other address information will NOT be published or shared.
  • Will not be published.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

What Keeps Me Up at Night —- The Nightmare Legacy of COVID 2020

January 5, 2021 by Hailey Gutzmer Leave a Comment

By Catherine Sevier, RN, DrPH

I am sure this is not a mystery to anyone reading a blog on the Care4Carolina website. COVID-19 is the disease that keeps on giving and taking. The pandemic has claimed lives, accelerated already existing societal challenges, and shined a light on the many inequities we face in assuring access to health care.

Keeping me up at night is the disproportionate challenges COVID-19 has placed on the aging population. Among those challenges are the highest mortality rate of all age groups (90+%); the greater risk that symptoms will last more than one month; the growing number of unemployed and their slow path to finding a new job; and the inability to access and afford health care.

Before 2020, the 50+ population was already one of the more highly vulnerable groups seeking access to affordable health coverage and care. Today, more people are struggling to find affordable care and they live with the constant threat that a preexisting condition will make these challenges even greater. 

An AARP Public Policy Institute report in 2020 found uninsured midlife adults experience a range of potentially harmful emotions. Uninsured adults experience significantly more stress than those with health insurance coverage. Emotions like long-term stress, depression, and shame can have detrimental effects on health. Before gaining Medicaid coverage, many midlife adults in the AARP study experienced negative emotions related to being uninsured.

Even more negative emotions are rooted by the fact that uninsured people are more likely to go without needed health care than their insured counterparts are.  In 2018, one in five uninsured adults went without needed medical care due to cost even as delaying it can exacerbate underlying health conditions, worsen health outcomes, and negatively affect one’s sense of wellbeing. 

Here in North Carolina, we also hear from aspiring entrepreneurs and older workers hoping to either start a small business or start their retirement.  However, giving up employer-related health benefits is their biggest obstacle given the uncertainties of affordable health coverage options.  

While the Affordable Care Act has provided a safe haven for purchasing insurance (even for those with pre-existing conditions), and Medicaid has covered some limited-income and disabled North Carolinians, these programs don’t extend to many who are underemployed or who comprise the working poor. In addition, many family caregivers are forced to leave the workforce or reduce their hours to provide uncompensated care to their loved ones.

In 2020, each of these circumstances has worsened. COVID-19 unemployment in NC has risen, and we are seeing a dramatic growth in the number of uninsured. What was already a significant health care coverage gap in North Carolina is widening. 

Furthermore, the disease has disproportionately affected people of color, once again shining a light on the higher mortality rates and disparities in health care. Finally, while there has been some relief provided to those diagnosed with COVID-19, it is unclear what the long-term effects of the disease will be and how the resulting chronic disease management will affect cost of their care and their insurability.

What we do in the aftermath of COVID-19 is not clear to me, thus insomnia persists. I do believe if we enact some of the innovative solutions already on the table, and look boldly for more, we could make a difference to the health of North Carolinians.  

There are three thing we can do now that will make a difference:

  • Find a legislative pathway that closes the coverage gap for the growing number of uninsured. 
  • Increase access to healthcare services by updating nursing licensure and removing out of date restrictions on advance practice nurses, 
  • Expand broadband technology in order to capitalize on telehealth capabilities, especially in rural and underserved areas. These initiatives are all doable in 2021 if our legislature takes action.

AARP in North Carolina is working hard to help people live the kind of lives they want to live as they age.  As the state continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic, access to care is even more important for adults of any age who may have untreated health conditions—like type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or obesity—that increase their risk for serious illness and death from the virus. Now is the time to implement cost-effective ways for the state to improve and maintain our health during the current pandemic and after its eventual end.

Catherine Sevier, RN, DrPH

State President

AARP North Carolina

Category iconWinter 2020-2021 Series Tag iconCovid-19/coronavirus,  Health Disparities,  Midlife Adults,  Uninsured

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