As COVID-19 Spreads Across NC, Urge These State Legislators to Expand Medicaid

With COVID-19 spreading rapidly, the need to expand Medicaid in North Carolina is more urgent than ever. Medicaid expansion would provide healthcare for 500,000 low-income households and create tens of thousands of desperately needed jobs in the healthcare sector.

For years, Democrats have been fighting to expand Medicaid, and Republicans have used their majority to block it at every turn. (“The best thing that folks can do is to get a job,” said Speaker Tim Moore when asked about Medicaid expansion in 2019, completely misrepresenting the fact that nearly everyone who would qualify was already employed.) Our state has forfeited $21 billion in federal funding since 2014. Without it, under-resourced hospitals have been forced to cut staff or even shut down.

With the rapid spread of COVID-19, Republicans’ failure to expand Medicaid will be catastrophic for North Carolinians. Please reach out to the Republican legislators listed below and urge them to expand Medicaid in North Carolina. Governor Cooper has been fighting for Medicaid expansion and has the power to call a special session; we just need enough legislators to agree to support it.

The Republicans listed below are in competitive districts under the new legislative maps and may be more responsive to their constituents now that many of them are newly vulnerable. Although their track record makes us dubious, given the circumstances, we hope these Republicans can be pushed to do what is right for North Carolina.

SAMPLE SCRIPT

Hello, I’m [your name]. I urge you to pass Medicaid expansion immediately. With COVID-19 spreading rapidly across our state, this is an unprecedented public health emergency. We need more hospital beds, equipment, and staff – not less. We need a greater level of care. You’re leaving federal funding on the table that could provide that care. Please pass Medicaid expansion immediately so we can bring that funding home to North Carolina to help us fight this pandemic.