Health Care

The Justice Center’s North Carolina Health Access Coalition (NCHAC)works to "put people first" in an increasingly profit-driven health care system. We advocate for the expansion of publicly funded health services for low- and moderate-income families, and we provide research and analysis on the state’s health care system. In addition, NCHAC offers assistance to individuals trying to access public health programs, educates community groups about health care options, and empowers people to advocate for increased access to affordable care.

Follow Our Work

Recent Victories

In 2008, NCHAC worked with partner organizations to successfully protect Medicaid coverage and benefits for adults. We also helped to convince two key members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation to support funding for children’s health insurance. In addition, NCHAC defeated an effort to kill the NC Kids Care program before it could even be implemented. This program, when it begins in 2009, will make affordable health insurance available to thousands of children in low- and moderate-income families.

The Justice Center was an integral part of the coalition effort to create NC Kids Care in 2007. We also led the successful campaign to create a high-risk insurance pool, which will provide affordable coverage to an estimated 9,000 people in North Carolina who have chronic medical conditions. Although this is only a small fraction of the people who are uninsured in the state, we believe this is an important first step toward making coverage widely accessible.

The passage of a mental-health parity law was also an important victory in 2007. This measure requires insurers to provide benefits for the treatment of mental illness that are no less favorable than benefits for physical illness generally.

Take Action

  • Join the NC Health Access Coalition. NCHAC educates the public and policymakers about health care reform options and enables consumers to become active participants in developing health policy.
  • Sign up for the NC Health Report. NCHAC Director Adam Searing sends out regular e-mail newsletters on state and federal health policies and reform proposals.
     

Justice Center staff members specializing in Health Care Issues:

Adam Searing, Director, NC Health Access Coalition

Nicole Dozier, Assistant Project Director, NC Health Access Coalition

Adam Linker, Health Policy Analyst

Hope Marasco, Outreach Coordinator