Medicaid has a history of helping children and families in times of crisis. In North Carolina, the vast majority of people who depend on Medicaid for their health care are children under 18, and adults with disabilities. Medicaid is even more important in rural North Carolina, where more than half of all children get their health care thanks to Medicaid.
Call on our US Senators to maximize Medicaid funding to states, fighting COVID-19 and protecting important public health programs.
Issue Brief, July 2020: North Carolina’s Rural Health Systems in Crisis
Fact Sheet, April 2020: Medicaid Changes Under COVID-19
Do you or your children qualify for Medicaid coverage in North Carolina? Find out!
Report: Medicaid as First Responder, Georgetown Center for Children & Families
Medicaid provides health coverage for over 2 million North Carolinians. Medicaid allows children, older adults, people with disabilities, and low-income individuals to get the health care they need. Medicaid is especially important during times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic in which more people will need access to testing and treatment.
In North Carolina, the vast majority of people who depend on Medicaid for their health care are children under 18, and adults with disabilities. Across the state, 40% of children get health care thanks to Medicaid and NC Health Choice. In rural communities more than half of children are served by Medicaid and NC Health Choice. Medicaid covers critical health care services for children, allowing them to meet developmental milestones and grow up healthy.
Congress can maximize Medicaid funding to states by increasing a formula called the FMAP, or Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage. During the 2009 recession, Congress increased the FMAP by 12% to meet increased needs and protect state budgets.
In 2020, a 14% FMAP increase would bring in nearly $2 billion more per year in federal Medicaid dollars for North Carolina. Federal Medicaid funding acts as an economic stabilizer for our state. Congress can also provide a 100% match for uninsured low-income people in our state. This would ease the financial burden of health care on families when they need it most.
In rural NC communities more than half of children are served by Medicaid and NC Health Choice, as opposed to 39% of children in the state’s metro areas. Medicaid is an important source of support for health care services in areas that otherwise would not have care. That benefits everyone, including the patients who have private insurance coverage.
Find out whether you or your children qualify for Medicaid coverage in North Carolina. Visit the NC Department of Health & Human Services website, or contact your county Department of Social Services office.