Community News

 

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

 

UNITED STATES – October 22, 2024 – The American Stroke Association (ASA), a division of the American Heart Association, has recently updated its guidelines for the prevention of stroke for the first time in 10 years. There are new recommendations for screening and prevention, for medication to reduce risk factors, for diet (the Mediterranean diet) and for screening people at-risk due to sex, race, economic instability, poor health care access, unstable housing and racism.

According to the CDC, stroke was the #4 cause of death in 2023 and a leading cause of disability in the United States. More than 600 hundred thousand Americans have their first stroke every year. The leading risk factors are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity and diabetes. The ASA feels that as many as 80% of strokes can be prevented with a program of adequate exercise, proper diet and identification and treatment of risk factors.

A stroke is a brain injury that may result in permanent damage, disability or death. The brain can be deprived of blood when a blood clot or an atherosclerotic plaque blocks the flow or when a blood vessel within the brain ruptures or leaks. Oxygen-deprived brain cells may die within minutes. Our brain is divided into regions that are responsible for specific functions like motor activity, memory, thinking, emotions, speaking and breathing. If one of these regions is deprived of blood, then the body may be unable to function as it should.

A stroke is a medical emergency that requires prompt treatment to reduce the risk of permanent damage. The pneumonic BE FAST can help you recognize the signs of stroke: B for loss of balance, E for eye changes, F for face drooping, A for arm weakness, S for speech difficulty, and T for time to call 911 to get medical help.

You can reduce the risk of having a major stroke by following these recommendations from the American Stroke Association:

• Manage high blood pressure including women at-risk due to pregnancy, early menopause or on birth control medicine
• Control cholesterol level, blood sugar and body weight
• Be active
• Eat the proper foods
• Don’t smoke
• Take your medicine

 

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

 

UNITED STATES – November 5, 2024 – You had an impact on keeping Asheville healthy by casting your vote on November 5^th, because our two-party political system was strongly divided on health-related issues in 2024. The winners will become the drivers of health-related legislation and policies for the coming years. The losers will be able to voice their concerns.

A good example of the power of the vote was when our elected state officials proposed Medicaid expansion bills in 2022 to increase access to health care for more North Carolinians. The bill was ratified in 2023. This was due to the grassroots efforts of many North Carolinians. Voters in 2020 and 2022 had a strong role in choosing state legislators that overturned years of avoiding Medicaid expansion, the federal program for health insurance for low-resource individuals. 75% of North Carolinians (including most Republicans and Democrats) wanted to improve the health of low-income persons and expand Medicaid. They voted for representatives to enact their wishes. On December 1, 2023, North Carolina officially became the 40^th state to expand Medicaid.

The latest political candidates took sides on many health-related issues during the 2024 election, including:

• Climate change
• Woman’s reproductive health
• Health care access
• Vaccination
• Gun violence

Everyone needs their health to live. Therefore, it is now up to our newly elected officials to enact legislation and health-related policies to keep us healthy. Timely assessment will show us how our legislators did. Our democracy’s strength lies with the ability of its citizens to chart their future course and keep Asheville healthy!

 

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

 

ASHEVILLE, NC – November 13, 2024 – The CDC’s COVID Dashboard for the week ending on November 2^nd shows:  

• There were fewer than 10 deaths due to COVID in North Carolina, the lowest level of 6 groups.
• Emergency department visits for COVID-19 are minimal in North Carolina, less than 1% of all visits and a moderate decrease since last week.

Wastewater monitoring can be used to provide early warning for COVID outbreaks. The Buncombe & Henderson counties wastewater data on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard for the week ending on October 30^th shows:

• The number of viral gene copies in each water sample is between 0-20%, the lowest level of 5 groups.
• The 15-day rate of change of the number of viral gene copies in each water sample was not reported.

Vaccine protection wanes over time and newer variants evolve to evade the body’s defenses. Persons in high-risk groups, ages 65 and older, with chronic health conditions or weakened immune systems, are more likely to develop severe illness. At-risk people can be protected, by staying home when not feeling well and keeping current with vaccination.

Americans can order up to 4 free COVID tests at COVIDtest.gov. I just did.

A new COVID vaccine is available for currently circulating strains. It is recommended for everyone 6 months and older. The timing is optimal to protect against getting severely ill during the winter surge of respiratory infections. Check with local pharmacies for availability.

 

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