Advocates for expanding Medicaid in North Carolina scheduled a press conference earlier this afternoon at the Legislative Building in Raleigh.

The event was organized by a coalition of organizations that represent and serve aging North Carolinians.

The $21.1 billion budget, passed through Senate shortly after midnight May 31, proposed cuts to insurance coverage for the elderly, blind and disabled.

Proposed cuts include removing 12,000 people from the Medicaid roll, denying eligibility to North Carolinians in adult care homes.

Those numbers come from AARP’s Associate State Director for Advocacy, Mary Bethel. She planned to attend the press conference and told WCHL the conversation will be centered on the concern of some of the “state’s most vulnerable citizens.”

“To qualify for Medicaid in North Carolina as an aged, blind or disabled individual, your income can be no higher than 100 percent of federal poverty levels,” Bethel says. “Health care costs can be very significant to an older or disabled individual and certainly they need Medicaid to not only get the health care they need to maintain their well-being.”

The budget also includes a $1 million cut to the Home and Community Block Grant, which assists the elderly in staying in their own homes through programs that provide food deliveries, in-home aid and transportation assistance.

Boasting an ever-expanding waitlist of over 16,000 people, the grant will have to be cut by almost 1,500 people who are already receiving outside aid.

Scheduled speakers included the President of the N.C. Coalition on Aging, Kate Castillo, President of the N.C. Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Joan Pellettier, and various representatives from nearly 30 organizations.

Related Stories
‹
Families of Trans Kids Worry About What’s Next After Supreme Court Rules on Gender-Affirming Care
A U.S. Supreme Court decision Wednesday upholding Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors is leaving transgender children and their parents uncertain and anxious about the future.
Trump’s Big Bill Will Cut Taxes by $3.7T and Add $2.4T to Deficit, Budget Office Says
President Donald Trump’s big bill making its way through Congress will cut taxes by $3.7 trillion but also increase deficits by $2.4 trillion over the next decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
House GOP Grinding Ahead With Trump’s Big Tax Cuts Bill, but New Report Says It Will Add to Deficit
House Republicans are pushing to vote on their multi-trillion-dollar tax breaks package soon, trying to shore up wavering GOP support.
House Republicans Unveil Medicaid Cuts That Democrats Warn Will Leave Millions Without Care
House Republicans have unveiled the cost-saving centerpiece of President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” at least $880 billion in cuts largely to Medicaid to help cover the cost of $4.5 trillion in tax breaks.
Here’s Where Jobs and Programs Are Being Cut at the Nation’s Top Health Agencies
Thousands of people were laid off Tuesday at the United States' top health agencies. Here are what positions and efforts were cut.
North Carolina’s New Governor Seeks More Helene Aid, Help for Families in Legislative Address
Written by GARY D. ROBERTSON RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — New North Carolina Democratic Gov. Josh Stein gave his first address to a joint General Assembly session Wednesday night, hitting on familiar campaign and early-term themes of helping Hurricane Helene victims, making living expenses affordable and focusing on bipartisan accomplishments. Stein delivered the biennial State of the State […]
Trump Makes Moves To Expand His Power, Sparking Chaos and a Possible Constitutional Crisis
President Donald Trump is taking steps to maximize his power, sparking chaos and what critics contend is a constitutional crisis.
Extra Private School Voucher Funding Gets Initial Ok From North Carolina Senate
The North Carolina Senate took the first step in clearing the waitlist for private school vouchers after passing a supplemental spending plan.
Meyer: Vouchers Back on Agenda in Raleigh, But Budget Crisis Looms
State Sen. Graig Meyer (D-Orange) discusses lawmakers' return to session in Raleigh to tackle vouchers and other funding matters.
All Qualifying North Carolina Hospitals Are Joining Debt-Reduction Effort, Governor Says
All qualifying North Carolina hospitals have agreed to participate in the first-of-its-kind initiative aiming to reduce medical debt.
›