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Care4Carolina

Care4Carolina

Expanding access. Enhancing prosperity.

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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”.

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Sign as an Individual

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Sign as an Organization

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Sign as a Civic Leader

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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.”

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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.

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Closing the Coverage Gap will “shamROCK” for North Carolina!

March 16, 2022 by Hannah Robinson

By Peg O’Connell, Chair, Care4Carolina

You may be wondering, “What St. Patrick’s Day has to do with closing the health insurance coverage gap in North Carolina?” Now, this is where the transition gets a little rocky—actually, “shamrocky,” so I hope that you will indulge me.

One of the best-known symbols of St. Patrick and the Irish is the shamrock—the bright green three leaf clover that we see everywhere during the month of March.  St. Patrick used the shamrock as an example of how something with three distinct parts can come together to form one stronger, better whole. The shamrock is a good analogy for the benefits of closing the coverage gap in our state.

The first leaf of our shamrock is physical health.  We know uninsured North Carolinians are more likely to delay needed health care and very often lack access to the simple preventative services many of us take for granted—like cancer and blood pressure screenings.  Imagine if the 600,000 people in the gap could see a health care provider before they end up in the emergency room. States that closed their coverage gap saw significantly lower mortality among newly diagnosed breast, colon and lung cancer patients.  In addition, states that opened their Medicaid program to more individuals saw significantly smaller increases in cardiovascular deaths among middle-age adults. Not bad results for a single leaf on a three-leaf clover.  

The second leaf represents the positive impact that closing the gap will have on our state’s economy.  North Carolina has come through the COVID pandemic in fairly good financial shape but our recovery has been uneven and there are people and rural parts of our state that still need help.  Closing the coverage gap can be a vital part of a complete and broad comeback from the past two years.

Closing the coverage gap would bring approximately $4 billion dollars to our state every year and be an engine for creating as many as 37,000 new jobs. In addition, the American Rescue Plan Act has promised states that expand their Medicaid programs an additional 5 percent match for their existing Medicaid programs for two years.  That could be nearly $1.7 billion for our state—for education, infrastructure or what ever needs our legislature determines are the highest priority.

Perhaps an even more urgent aspect of this second leaf of the shamrock is that it can help bring more workers into our economy.  When people can get the healthcare they need, they are healthier and more productive workers.  Seventy-six percent of people in the gap are already working.  Among these working adults, healthcare coverage incentivizes people to work more hours and among the unemployed, it increases the likelihood of finding a job. 

The third leaf in the shamrock is the tremendous benefit that closing the gap can have for those uninsured in our state who struggle with mental illness and substance use. This is often the shamrock leaf that nobody wants to talk about.  We have a mental health crisis in our state and in our nation and it got worse during COVID.  But we have to talk about it and we must do something about it.  Closing the states coverage gap can give people who struggle with mental and behavioral health issues access to the treatment they want and need.  Just like physical illness, mental illness is treatable and those who suffer deserve the right to get better.

As I write this, I realize that there are so many benefits to closing the coverage gap, that my shamrock analogy could actually become a daisy with 100 petals, but I will stick with the shamrock for today.  I don’t think St. Patrick will mind my borrowing his symbol—and I know he would want us to love our neighbors and close the coverage gap. Slainte!

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