Healthcare, business, and community leaders, and members of the media met in Pinehurst, NC on Friday to discuss the economic and health impact of the Healthcare Gap in North Carolina. The lively roundtable discussion held at FirstHealth Community Health Services in Pinehurst was organized by Care4Carolina – a statewide coalition of health providers, business and community leaders, civic groups, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and medical and professional associations.Care4Carolina seeks to strengthen the economic and social wellbeing of our state by increasing access to affordable, quality healthcare for all North Carolinians.
According to newly released research commissioned by Cone Health Foundation and Kate B. Reynolds Charitable organizations, the state could see a tremendous economic boost if lawmakers expanded Medicaid in the state. "Medicaid expansion is just one important piece of the puzzle in closing the state's healthcare gap," said Jason Gray, Senior Fellow, Research & Policy, NC Rural Center. "But the impact by 2022 would mean an economic boom for the state. Researchers using standard economic multipliers, found that North Carolina would see an increase of nearly $7.45 Billion in Gross County Product, $106.4 Million in Tax Revenues, an additional 37,000 new jobs and 400,000 people would have an affordable option to buy health insurance."
Currently, nearly 1.9 Million individuals and families in our state do not have healthcare coverage.
"It's not only heartbreaking to hear those numbers, it's unacceptable for us as a state to allow these hard-working people who make too little to get help from the federal exchange and do not have affordable options to buy healthcare," said Erica Palmer Smith, Director, Care4Carolina Coalition. "The state's healthcare gap is having lasting impacts on our farmers, our fishermen, our firefighters, and small business owners across the state and on every level of rural, regional, city, and state government. In order for North Carolina to thrive economically, we need to do better for the health of our citizens."
"The failure to find a solution to the coverage gap affects virtually everyone in the state," said Peg O'Connell, Chair, Care4Carolina. "This roundtable discussion gave us the opportunity to look at the state's coverage gap from a variety of perspectives. Some came to talk about the economic impact. Some came to discuss healthcare in rural communities across the state. And some pointed out how the coverage gap is exacerbating the opioid crisis. It is now time for our legislators to take action on this most pressing issue facing North Carolina."
To learn more about Care4Carolina visit http://care4carolina.
Documents handed out at the event https://drive.google.
