Tag: health choice

A ray of hope in the health care world

September 21, 2012 at 1:37 pmCategory:Uncategorized

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From a new report by the the wonks at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:

The share of residents without health coverage fell in 20 states last year, Census data released yesterday show, while rising in just one. This improvement largely reflect increased private coverage among young adults — helped by a health reform provision allowing them to stay on their parents’ insurance plans until age 26 — and greater enrollment in public programs such as Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

In North Carolina the uninsured rate fell from 16.8% to 16.3%. And despite population growth and hard economic times, the actual number of uninsured people fell by more than 44,000.  

The Affordable Care Act in action

October 5, 2011 at 11:57 amCategory:Uncategorized

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Jill Hudgins, a freelance writer living in Durham, published an important opinion piece in the News & Observer today about finding insurance through Inclusive Health.

Here’s how she begins:

DURHAM — While Republicans rant and rave about the evils of “Obamacare,” many individuals are already benefiting from the reforms. I’m one of them.

I’ve been branded with the scarlet letter “P” for pre-existing condition, denied coverage for years. Thanks to a new program called the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP), I’m now a card-carrying member of the insured.

You should read the entire article to see how Obamacare is providing benefits to people with pre-existing conditions.

Want to know which side your legislator is on? Watch today’s vote on the health insurance exchange.

May 25, 2011 at 11:40 amCategory:Uncategorized

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There are those defining issues raised in the General Assembly every so often that pit the state’s most powerful interest groups against the needs of consumers and average citizens. The vote on today’s health benefits exchange is one such issue.

Health reform requires that North Carolina establish a health exchange, although we do not need to pass legislation this session. Blue Cross and Blue Shield was quick to pounce, getting their friends in the General Assembly to sponsor a bill crafted by the company’s attorneys.

This legislation stacks the board governing the exchange with interests that either opposed health reform or are seeking to repeal the Affordable Care Act. This bill puts those groups in charge of implementing reform in the state. This bill strips the exchange of any ability to adapt to changing market conditions. It takes away all ability to provide value to consumers. It is, in short, an insult.

This has nothing to do with political party and everything to do with access.

Consumer groups have pleaded with legislators — Democrat and Republican — not to blatently harm their constituents at the behest of these interest groups. It is astounding how hard you have to work to convince even a small clutch of lawmakers to vote the interests of average people. We don’t enjoy access and we don’t host lavish fundraisers.

All we have on our side are justice, determination, long memories, and a lot of people. After all, every consumer group in the state, and this is a remarkable thing, every consumer group in the state opposes this exchange bill. Every editorial has opposed this bill. Every poll shows broad opposition to this bill.

We haven’t heard anything on the exchange from the Governor’s office. After a brief stab at compromise, Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin also has been mum on the issue of the health exchange. His office has said it won’t oppose anything the General Assembly cooks up.

So, here we are. A radically anti-consumer exchange bill will likely pass the House today. The only thing standing between you and a health care system dominated by insurance companies in perpetuity is the Senate and the Governor and the resistance of the people.

Two Victories for North Carolina Children and Families

August 1, 2007 at 10:05 amCategory:Uncategorized

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by Rebecca Clendenin, Action for Children. 

Yesterday, monumental legislation was signed into being by Governor Mike Easley.  The final state budget included NC Kid's Care and a 3.5% refundable earned income tax credit (EITC), both of which will improve outcomes for children and families across our state.

NC Kids’ Care, which begins on July 1, 2008, will make available affordable health insurance coverage to 38,000 currently uninsured children in families between 200%-300% of the Federal Poverty Line ($42,000-$62,000 per year for a family of four).  Families would participate in the cost of care in the form of deductibles, co-payments and monthly premiums subsidized on a sliding scale based on income.  The NC legislature approved $368,000 to establish administration of the program in the first year, and has agreed to fully fund the Kids’ Care program at $7 million in subsequent years.  This expansion of health insurance means that thousands more children will become eligible for affordable health coverage.

Additionally, the NC General Assembly adopted a 3.5% NC refundable EITC.  The EITC will give a tax credit to more than 825,000 working North Carolinians at the time they file their state tax returns.

Action for Children hopes that this marks a first step in providing even more needed supports for our working families.

The Tax Scrooges

April 18, 2007 at 1:44 pmCategory:Uncategorized

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ScroogeTax day seems to bring out the Scrooge in some people. Take for instance the gentleman who wrote into the Hendersonville Times News with a letter entitled “Pretty soon, we’ll all be on the dole.” His letter reflects an attitude held by many that our state government is wasting money, and the services the state provides are only benefiting lazy people who don’t want to work. These perceptions couldn’t be farther from the truth.

A breakdown of our state budget shows that approximately 60% of the budget goes to education. One fourth of the budget is spent on health and human services to care for poor children and the disabled, blind or mental ill in our state.

North Carolina’s cash assistance welfare program ended ten years ago. Work First, which now provides Temporary Aid to Families in Need for a limited period of time and requires recipients to work, has reduced the number of people ‘on the dole’ by 85%.

Many of the people seeking assistance from state health and human service programs are working full-time but do not have access to employer-provided health care and do not earn enough to afford private insurance. This chart prepared by the Cecil G. Shep Center, shows over 50% of adults earning less that 200% of the Federal Poverty Level are uninsured; 68% of children in this income level have no health insurance. These children, like tiny Tim Cratchit, cannot afford to see a doctor when they are sick.

Figures for the State Earned Income Tax Credit show the same thing, people are working hard but are not earning enough to keep pace with the rising costs of necessities like housing and child care. This year, one out of five NC families claimed an Earned Income Tax Credit on their federal tax return. Of these families, 69% earned less than $20,000 for the year.

Programs like the Health Choice for children, the High Risk Insurance Pool and the State Earned Income Tax Credit are not a waste of tax-payer money but proven, effective programs that can help lift millions of North Carolinians out of poverty.

Scrooge found his redemption in helping others. Now that tax day has passed, maybe those begrudging North Carolina taxpayers can soften their hearts and open their eyes to see that government programs that help the poor ultimately benefit all of us.