The following was written by Tiffany Smith, of Burlington North Carolina about why the NCGA needs to expand Medicaid, without further delay.
We have an opportunity right now to close the healthcare coverage gap for over 600,000 North
Carolinians. Now is the time to expand Medicaid.
I know I cannot wait. Both my husband and I work, and it would take his whole paycheck to put
the family on insurance. So we go without.
My husband walks around with one contact because he has no visual insurance, and cannot afford a vision check. Our three children have different disabilities who require medication. One child is asthmatic. One child, five years old, had her Medicaid terminated. Another child needs occupational therapies. I was depressed and went to the hospital to seek help. And left with a medical debt of $20,000.
People without health insurance do not get to utilize any preventative care.
Most jobs I have worked have had to be minimum wage so my children could have care…and
with the cost of living I have needed a raise and then my kids have lost their Medicaid. Do I work
so my kids can eat or do I keep the job with unsuitable hours for my family so that my children
can keep access to Medicaid? I have had to quit my jobs due to children’s illness.
We all deserve healthcare. Why should we wait for yet another study to expand Medicaid?
