Expand Medicaid NOW! Join Our Phone Call Day of Action Monday April 13th

Call NC Senator Berger and House Speaker Moore during the day on Monday April 13th and urge them to expand Medicaid to save our lives and protect our hospitals.

The COVID-19 crisis has shown us we are dependent on each other in so many ways. As a community, we are only as protected as the least insured among us. It is now more essential than ever that we expand Medicaid and ensure that all North Carolinians have the health care coverage they need. This means putting pressure on our elected officials to get the healthcare that our neighbors and dear ones so desperately need to get through this crisis and beyond.

Join Us in This Coordinated Statewide Action

Indivisible AVL has partnered with a diverse group of organizations across the state for two weeks of action, culminating in a virtual Medicaid Expansion Day  on April 28. We are raising our voices collectively to Senator Berger and Speaker Moore to tell them, “No more excuses! Expand Medicaid now!” Different organizations will be making calls each day over these two weeks, and Indivisible AVL’s day is Monday, April 13th.

Please call Sen. Berger and Speaker Moore on Monday using this patch-through number: 1-855-408-2357. Note: You will need to call this number twice to make both calls.

Sample Phone Script for Action Alert (Patch-Through Number: 1-855-408-2357)

“[Senator Berger/Speaker Moore], during the COVID-19 Crisis it is more important than ever that we expand Medicaid for the North Carolinians who are uninsured and need healthcare. Expanding Medicaid will also protect our hospitals, which are struggling under the strain of this pandemic. Before the COVID-19 crisis, we had more than one million people uninsured in our state. With record numbers filing for unemployment, we need to make sure people have coverage and access to care during this pandemic. We are ALL at risk when any of our neighbors, family members or friends can’t get the care they need. We need Medicaid expansion to survive this crisis and beyond.”

If You’d Rather Email Instead

We really want to flood their lines with phone calls, but if you feel more comfortable writing a note than making a call, here’s a sample email you can use for ideas. Please edit and make it your own, then email Speaker Moore at Tim.Moore@ncleg.net and Senate Leader Berger at Phil.Berger@ncleg.net. Tell them out why it’s so important that we expand Medicaid for North Carolina during this public health crisis!

Dear Senate President Berger/House Speaker Moore,

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need to work together to address the health coverage gaps that are leaving North Carolinians unprotected during a public health crisis. Expanding Medicaid is the quickest and easiest way we can ensure the health and well-being of all North Carolinians. This virus has shown us that we are dependent on one another. When people in the coverage gap can’t access the care they need, this makes all of us vulnerable to infection, complications and even death.

Our own health depends on the health of the person next to us, and the person next to them. Protecting the most vulnerable in our society– the uninsured, the overworked, people who earn low incomes while doing the “essential” work so that we can all survive is fundamental to ensuring that we are all well and healthy. All of us need access to healthcare and have the support we need to be healthy and free from the burden of medical bankruptcy.

When we invest in our healthcare system, we invest in us. Rural healthcare is especially dire in North Carolina. Since 2013, we’ve seen seven rural hospitals close in our state. There have been nine maternity wards that have shuttered their doors and 15 rural hospitals that are vulnerable to closure.

More than ever, North Carolina needs to expand Medicaid as both an economic boost and a public health intervention to provide North Carolinians with the coverage they need to protect their health and financial well-being.

This moment calls on our leadership to come together and unite. Please expand Medicaid.

Sincerely,