North Carolina Justice Center: Last States to Expand Medicaid Unite to Urge Congress to Guarantee Access to Affordable Healthcare
After years of inaction from state legislatures, advocacy organizations from the remaining non-expansion states have united to urge
"Without Medicaid expansion in the
Over 200 advocacy organizations from the 12 non-expansion states have signed a letter pleading
"State leaders continue to block the path forward for expansion despite its positive impacts, upholding deeply politicized tensions over the will of their constituents while exacerbating health inequities in our communities," said
Many people living in these states, especially people of color, are being denied the right, benefits, and dignity of healthcare coverage granted to people in 38 other states, a right that
Millions of people have been left uninsured and unprotected during a global pandemic, many of them essential workers. Expansion states have made the greatest progress in narrowing racial gaps in health outcomes. They see fewer maternal deaths for Black and Hispanic women. In rural communities, expansion has helped sustain struggling hospitals in areas that already experience sparse access to health care facilities.
Without any of the non-expansion states passing legislation to expand Medicaid, advocates in these states are looking to the federal government for solutions on how to extend health insurance coverage to people who need it the most.
* * *
To: The President of
The Honorable
The Honorable
The Honorable
The Honorable
cc: Members of the
Dear President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Schumer, Chairman Pallone, Chairman Wyden and Members of the
We represent the 12 states that have not yet expanded Medicaid, and today we write to urge
The undersigned organizations lead efforts to advance health equity and racial justice across
We are grateful for your leadership on the American Rescue Plan Act, particularly for key provisions that incentivize states to expand Medicaid and make health coverage more affordable for Americans. These provisions represent an important step towards health equity.
Yet, more needs to be done. Medicaid expansion extended quality health coverage to Americans who make too little to purchase a plan on the marketplace but too much to qualify for traditional state Medicaid.
However, with twelve states still refusing to expand Medicaid--eight of them in the South--over two million uninsured poor adults have been left in the Medicaid coverage gap, with no realistic access to health coverage. Across our states, more than 55% of these adults are Black, Hispanic, or Asian. That figure reaches as high as 72% in some states.
Our residents--especially people of color--are being denied the right, benefits, and dignity of healthcare coverage granted to Americans in 38 other states, a right that
Expansion states have made the greatest progress in narrowing racial gaps in health outcomes. They see fewer maternal deaths for Black and Hispanic women. And in rural communities, expansion has helped sustain struggling hospitals in areas that already experience sparse access to health care facilities.
A
State leaders continue to block the path forward for expansion despite additional federal incentives, upholding deeply politicized tensions over the will of their constituents while exacerbating health inequities in our communities.
Without bold, federal action in the economic recovery package, communities of color in our states could be left waiting another decade or more for access to basic, life-saving health coverage.
America can't recover if all Americans aren't covered. We can't thrive as a nation if some communities continue to suffer. We can't continue to allow state leaders to stand in the way of the health and wellbeing of millions of Americans.
Our communities are counting on your leadership to ensure all Americans have access to quality, affordable health coverage by including a direct, comprehensive coverage option in recovery legislation.
We remain ready to work with you to meet this goal and would be eager to continue this discussion.
Sincerely,
9 to 5 Atlanta
1199
A Better Balance
Action NC
Advocates for Responsible Care Alabama Arise
Alabama Black Women's Roundtable Alabama Child Health Improvement alliance
Alabama
Alachua County Labor Coalition Allegany Franciscan Ministries Allergy & Asthma Network
Atlanta Jobs with Justice
Avenue
B.
Better
BirthWell Partners Community Doula Project Black Voters Matter
Catalyst
Center for
Citizen Action of
Community Family Centers
Doctors for America -
Doctors for America, Georgia Chapter Down Home North Carolina
Every Texan
Families First
Feminist Women's Health Center Fiedler on the Roof Construction First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin Social Action Committee Florida Health Justice Project Florida Mental Health Advocacy Coalition Florida Policy Institute
Florida Rising
Florida Voices for Health
Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center
Georgia Watch
Georgians for a
Health and
Healthy
Hometown Action
Indivisible Georgia Coalition Interfaith Children's Movement International Pain Foundation Jewish Community Relations Council Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta Jewish Democratic Women's Salon Kansas Action for Children
Kansas Appleseed
Kansas Interfaith Action
Kansas Mental Health Coalition Latina Institute for
Mental Health America of
Moms Rising
NAACP Branch 56AA-B/Cookeville-Putnam Co., TN NAMI Tennessee (
NC Child
Network of Behavioral Health Providers Neverland designs
Nurture the Next
Partnership For Southern Equity Just Energy Academy Physicians for a
Presbyterians for a Better Georgia ProGeorgia
Protect Our Care Georgia
Proyecto Azteca
Rx within Reach Georgia coalition Sankofa Strides
SickOfItTX
SisterReach
Southern
SOWEGA Rising
SPARK RJ
Step Up Savannah
Texans Care for Children
Texas Parent to Parent
Texas
The Afiya Center
The Disabilities Leadership Coalition of Alabama
Vecino Health Centers
Voices for Georgia's
Women Engaged
Women for
Wyoming Equality
Wyoming Interfaith Network
Wyoming Rising
Young Invincibles
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