More than half a million North Carolinians lack health care coverage because our state has refused to expand Medicaid to cover low-income workers. Although the federal government will cover 90% of the cost of providing health insurance to those who need it, the politicians running North Carolina have not accepted federal dollars and expand the program. The NC House of Representatives and the NC Senate both are considering bills that will expand this program to all those in need.
500,000 people in North Carolina make too little to afford health insurance and too much to qualify for Medicaid. This is known as the Medicaid Gap. The Affordable Care Act provides subsidies to people of modest means, but it gave money to states to expand Medicaid programs to cover the very poor. North Carolina did not accept this money.
Single people making less than $12,000 a year and families of three making between $8,000 and $20,000 do not qualify for health care premium subsidies, but also do not qualify for Medicaid. For these people, healthcare is unattainable.
37 states have expanded Medicaid. In these states, the very poor have access to health insurance and medical care. These states are led by both Republicans and Democrats.
Expanding Medicaid would add 43,000 jobs to North Carolina’s economy. It would bring $4 billion in federal funding to North Carolina annually.
Healthcare should be a right. Every single person should have the ability to take care of themselves and their families. When people cannot make safe healthcare decisions everyone pays. Having people without insurance drives up costs for everyone.