Area physicians, healthcare providers comment on Medicaid expansion
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY)– Hearing from area healthcare agencies one day after Governor Roy Cooper signed a bill into law that will expand Medicaid in North Carolina.
“It’s really a win-win across the board. Our patients can really get access to things they haven’t been able to before,” said Dr. Claude Jarrett, Orthopedic Physician with Wilmington Health.
Area physicians and healthcare providers say Governor Cooper signing a Bill 76, Access To Healthcare Options, to expand Medicaid in North Carolina is a major milestone for people in need of medical care.
“There are a lot of patients in our state, and in our community that just don’t have access to healthcare. This is going to be revolutionary. It’s going to allow a lot of patients to have preventive care, have primary care, and see specialists, for problems they haven’t been able to see about before,” said Dr. Jarrett.
The new law is expected to help some 600 thousand uninsured North Carolinians, including more than 17-thousand in New Hanover County.
“A large population that we serve will now be eligible for Medicaid, which will allow them the option of choosing their doctors within the Medicaid program, and giving them that full coverage program as opposed to ours which is all donated care,” said Leslie Smiley, Executive Director of Cape Fear Health Net.
Healthcare experts say the expansion will allow qualifying families to spend less money on healthcare, and more on other essentials like food, rent, and childcare. It will also allow low-income individuals to be eligible for other services with non-profits to improve overall heath.
“If the opportunity presents itself, and we have increased eligibility into the program, we can have more recipients to be able to receive those services in food, housing, transportation, or intrapersonal safety,” said Sarah Ridout, Healthy Opportunity Director of Community Care Lower Cape Fear.
The bill will go into effect this summer once the state budget is approved.
