Health Care
Last week, two cases of the coronavirus were confirmed by North Carolina state officials. The two cases, which are unrelated, are the first cases for the state as COVID-19 continues to spread across the country. Gov. Roy Cooper announced last week that the N.C. State Laboratory of Public Health can test for the virus. Cooper…
Read MoreIn 2015, Senator Thom Tillis along with other Republican incumbents, voted for a repeal of the Affordable Care Act — a move that would have left millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions vulnerable. From WRAL: A pre-existing condition is a health problem that someone has before their health coverage starts. Examples include asthma, cancer, diabetes…
Read MoreA recent state-by-state report by The Kaiser Family foundation, found that North Carolina, the 10th largest state in the nation, is fairing worse than the national average in health care. With 33.5 percent of North Carolina residents below 200% of the Federal Poverty level in 2018, Medicaid is much-needed for those without financial accessibility. In…
Read MoreAccording to a new report from the Chartis Center for Rural Health, 19 rural hospitals closed across America in 2019. Almost one out of every four open rural hospitals are at risk of closing in the near future. States like North Carolina, that have chosen not to expand Medicaid have experienced the most rural hospital…
Read MoreOn Saturday, hundreds of mental health advocates raised questions about the priorities and concerns of the mental health community in North Carolina. The 42nd annual Mental Health Legislative Breakfast at UNC Chapel Hill, brought over 400 health providers, advocates and consumers into a discussion to make state lawmakers aware of the need for improved and…
Read MoreAccording to the Center for Health Services Research at UNC Chapel Hill, over one hundred rural hospitals have closed across the United States since 2010. In a recent report by iVantage Health Analytics, almost 600 rural hospitals are at risk of closing. In these studies, both closures and at-risk hospitals are in the 14 states…
Read MoreNC’s Republican-controlled state legislature remains calcified in its opposition to expanded Medicaid, which would bring down healthcare costs for everyone, even those with private health insurance. But a growing number of conservatives are calling on lawmakers to finally allow expansion. From WRAL: “We believe we have a responsibility to look after our citizens. It’s a…
Read MoreThe North Carolina General Assembly convenes on Tuesday for a so-called “mini-session” amidst the budget standoff waged by legislative Republicans since last summer. From North Carolina Health News: “We have not set a date and honestly we’re waiting like everyone else to see what the legislature” does this week, said Dave Richard, the N.C. Department of Health…
Read MoreThe North Carolina General Assembly convenes on Tuesday for a so-called “mini-session” amidst the budget standoff waged by legislative Republicans since last summer. Meanwhile, the health care spotlight is heating up on North Carolina Republicans as yet another red state — this time Kansas — has decided to expand Medicaid. From The News & Observer:…
Read MoreThe health disparity between rural and urban communities across the United States is growing, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In North Carolina, this is made even worse by Republican lawmakers’ refusal to consider expanding Medicaid. About 40 percent of North Carolinians — approximately 4 million people — live in one…
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