Asheville, NC – At its Annual Meeting on June 14th, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce presented its annual President’s Award to Care4Carolina in honor of the organization’s advocacy efforts for Medicaid expansion.
“I was honored to be able to accept this award on behalf of Care4Carolina and each and every single one of our coalition members across North Carolina who have worked and continue to work to ensure our friends and neighbors have access to health insurance,” said Brittney Lofthouse, Western Regional Education Coordinator for Care4Carolina. “Our work is not done. Now as we begin work to ensure the 600,000 North Carolinians who were in the coverage gap know they can now enroll in Medicaid, partners like the Asheville Chamber will be more important than ever.”
Presented by First Bank, the Asheville Chamber’s President’s Award recognizes an individual or company deserving of recognition for their work and contributions to the community.
Abby Emanuelson, Care4Carolina’s executive director, noted, “We accept this award with deep appreciation to the Chamber and all those who have advocated to expand Medicaid. Our work will not be complete until North Carolina’s Medicaid Expansion program is approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and then implementation and enrollment are in full swing. Care4Carolina will continue to work to ensure expansion will happen as soon as possible — people’s lives continue to be at stake.”
“One of the Asheville Chamber’s guiding principles is collaboration. When we collaborate with businesses and partner organizations, we are more effective in our advocacy efforts,” said Kit Cramer, President & CEO of the Asheville Chamber. “As the leading advocate for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina, Care4Carolina has been a valued partner in supporting the Chamber’s policy agenda.”
The 176-member Care4Carolina is a statewide coalition that brings diverse organizations and industry sectors together to advocate for closing the health insurance coverage gap by expanding Medicaid. The organization aims to improve the overall health of North Carolina by advocating for access to affordable and quality healthcare. They believe that closing the insurance gap and providing affordable insurance options can benefit approximately 600,000 uninsured individuals, leading to better health outcomes and lower costs for those with private health insurance. By increasing access to healthcare, Care4Carolina seeks to enhance the economic and social well-being of the state.
“Access to affordable healthcare has been part of our policy agenda for years,” Cramer said. “I’m so happy the North Carolina General Assembly has decided that Medicaid expansion is a good step forward and that we’re going to make it happen in this budget season. We’re thankful for Care4Carolina’s leadership and advocacy on this issue.”
Learn more about Care4Carolina at care4carolina.com.
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