Community News

 

RALEIGH, NC – August 7, 2024 – Each of the state’s 99 hospitals have signed up for a new state program to reduce medical debt. On July 1^st, Governor Cooper announced an initiative to increase federal payments to participating hospitals who agree to forgive medical debt for low- and middle-income patients. The sign-up deadline for hospitals was August 9^th. The medical debt program is believed to be the first of its kind in the United States. Uncollectible medical debt dating back to 2014 will be forgiven. Our local hospitals, Mission Hospital, AdventHealth Hendersonville, and Pardee Memorial Hospital have signed on.

There is a medical debt crisis in North Carolina. According to 2022 credit bureau data analyzed by the Urban Institute, a nonprofit organization that shapes economic and social policy through research, 20% of North Carolina’s residents has medical debt in collections, the fourth highest state in the country. Black and Hispanic persons and people living in rural areas are disproportionately affected by having medical debt.

The medical debt program will be funded by federal money coming from the Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program (HASP) because the state Medicaid program shifted to managed care. It is estimated that 2 million low- and middle-income North Carolinians will have $4 billion of medical debt forgiven.

Former patients do not have to take any action now, because the hospitals will work with a third-party vendor to identify who is eligible for relief.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

WINSTON-SALEM, NC – October 4, 2024 – Staying healthy during major floods is a challenge. About a week after Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina, I heard a timely interview on a Winston-Salem radio station. WFDD’s David Ford interviewed Dr. Christopher Ohl, a professor of internal medicine and infectious diseases at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The doctor offered some great tips on how to stay healthy during major floods and recommended ways of being prepared for major catastrophic events.

We must have water. Here’s how water can keep us healthy:
• Hydration
• Personal hygiene, bathing, and brushing teeth
• Washing hands before eating and after going to the bathroom will reduce the risk of getting sick
• Food preparation
• Washing clothes and dishes
• Flushing toilets

Here’s what you can do to be ready for a major flood:
• Stockpile food and water
• Stay up to date with vaccination for respiratory illnesses
• Have an evacuation plan like staying out-of-town with friends or relatives
• Have strong mental health services available

The mental health impact after floods may be the biggest health problem in the long run because it may last longer than other health problems. Natural disasters, like floods, can cause someone to feel helpless, grief stricken, and anxious. Grief reactions can occur from personal loss. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with the trauma following a major catastrophe. Anxiety and panic attacks can occur as can depression and suicide.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

RALEIGH, NC – December 11, 2024 – About one year ago, on December 1, 2023, North Carolina officially became the 40^th state to expand Medicaid, the federal program for health insurance for low-resource individuals. A state Medicaid expansion (ME) bill was passed by the General Assembly and signed by Governor Roy Cooper in March_. ME was in the Affordable Care Act of 2010 and left to each state to decide in a subsequent Supreme Court ruling. ME increases health care access to eligible North Carolinians ages 19-64 and their families by relaxing the program’s strict eligibility requirements.

The latest update of the NC Medicaid Expansion Enrollment Dashboard was on December 3^rd. There have been almost 590 thousand people in North Carolina who have been enrolled since the law took effect one year ago including more than 14 thousand residents of Buncombe County. It was estimated that 600 thousand North Carolinians are eligible for ME, with 15.5 thousand from Buncombe County. The state had predicted that it would take 2 years to achieve their enrollment. After 12 months of accepting applications, the state is more than 98% of the way to enrolling all eligible persons and Buncombe County is more than 90% of the way there.

North Carolina has been thrust into the national spotlight through the passing and implementation of Medicaid expansion. Its success was due to the strong grassroots support by many organizations and the efforts of Governor Cooper and both houses of the General Assembly.

In a recent interview with North Carolina Health News, Governor Cooper said, “When I ran for governor, one of my top priorities was creating a North Carolina where people were healthier and could get the care that they need to have lives of purpose and abundance.” He added, “We knew that Medicaid expansion was an important way of making that happen, because there were a lot of hardworking people in North Carolina who were making too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough money to qualify for subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.”

There are many ways to apply for NC Medicaid for eligible persons. Those who have not yet applied should visit Medicaid.nc.gov to see if they qualify. Buncombe County residents can apply for Medicaid online and at any time at ePASS.NC.gov. Applications can be done in-person at the HHS Building on 40 Coxe Avenue, by calling 828-250-5500, or by mail.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour