Biden-Harris Policies Give Thousands in NC Affordable Healthcare

As a presidential candidate, Kamala Harris is building on efforts to improve healthcare in North Carolina, expanding Medicaid and reducing medical debt.

August 17, 2024

Article Summary –

The article discusses the efforts by Kamala Harris and the Biden-Harris administration to improve healthcare access in North Carolina, highlighting the expansion of Medicaid through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the benefits brought by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Lori Kelley, a North Carolina resident, exemplifies how Medicaid expansion has provided critical health coverage which was previously blocked by a Republican-led legislature. Additional health initiatives include Governor Roy Cooper’s Behavioral Health Roadmap funded by ARPA and legislative measures to lower prescription costs, provide free vaccines, cap insulin costs, and reduce medical debt for millions of residents.

As a presidential candidate, Kamala Harris is building on previous efforts to improve health care in North Carolina

Lori Kelley of Harrisburg, N.C., a grandmother of six, struggled for 16 years to get affordable health care.

But she finally got the coverage she needed last year.

“Today I have coverage, thanks to Medicaid expansion in North Carolina,” she said during a rally in Raleigh earlier this year.

Kelley qualified for a newly expanded Medicaid program funded through Obamacare, but the Republican-led legislature refused to approve it for nearly a decade.

That changed with the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 from the Biden-Harris administration. The law provided a $1.7 billion “signing bonus” for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina, prompting the state legislature to expand Medicaid in 2023, extending coverage to an estimated 600,000 residents aged 19-64.

“I feel like I got the keys to the kingdom,” Kelley said at a Biden-Harris health care event in March. “I have peace of mind now.”

ARPA funding is also invested in Governor Roy Cooper’s $1 billion Behavioral Health Roadmap, funding mental and behavioral health for children, better care in rural areas, and training and retention of health care workers in underserved areas.

Help for North Carolina

Another Biden-Harris legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, is also improving healthcare access and lowering costs for North Carolina residents. The law:

Lowered prescription drug costs for 663,000 Medicare enrollees by an average of $406 per year;

Made shingles, RSV, and other vaccines free for 361,000 Medicare Part D enrollees;

Capped insulin costs at $35 per month for seniors on Medicare;

Lowered prescription drug costs for more than 300,000 state residents who take medications for heart failure, blood clots, and diabetes.

Relieving the burdens of medical debt

As vice president, Kamala Harris worked with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper to eliminate $4 billion in medical debt for 2 million low- and middle-income residents by incentivizing hospitals to forgive patient debt.

“Large medical bills from sickness or injury can cripple finances,” said Governor Cooper. “Freeing people from medical debt can be life-changing for families and boost North Carolina’s economic health.”