Governor Josh Stein recently hosted a roundtable with healthcare professionals and Medicaid beneficiaries to highlight the lifesaving impacts of Medicaid and discuss the importance of protecting Medicaid funding from Republicans’ federal cuts.
“Protecting North Carolinians’ health care access is critically important,” said Stein. “I am proud of our state’s bipartisan work to expand Medicaid, and I call on that same bipartisan spirit in Congress to stand up and protect Medicaid so we can continue to provide critical care across our state.”
Governor Stein has also sent a letter to North Carolina’s congressional delegation asking them to oppose any federal budget proposal that includes cuts to Medicaid. He highlighted how NC Medicaid strengthens communities and supports the workforce as well as businesses.
More than three million people across the state, or 1 in 4 North Carolinians, have affordable health coverage through NC Medicaid; including more than 640,000 North Carolinians who gained access to care in the last year under Medicaid expansion.
“New enrollees are now able to see providers and are receiving life-saving care with more than five million prescriptions being filled for conditions like heart health, seizures, and diabetes,” said North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Dev Sangvai.
Despite widespread support for Medicaid, Congress is proposing significant cuts to the program, which would have a devastating impact on North Carolina, including a $6 billion loss in funding for health care providers. Proposals being considered could cause more than 640,000 North Carolinians to lose their health coverage, take billions from North Carolina’s economy, drive up state costs, and cut coverage for health care services.
Health care providers and leaders were joined at the roundtable by Tashenda Gibson, an early childhood caregiver enrolled in NC Medicaid. She spoke about the critical care she is receiving as a new mother.
“NC Medicaid has been a life-saving component of care for me and my family,” said Gibson. “I recently welcomed a healthy baby girl, and Medicaid helped through pregnancy, delivery, and now postpartum.”
