Alabama should save lives, create jobs and boost workforce participation by closing the state’s Medicaid coverage gap, Alabama Arise members told lawmakers Tuesday.

More than 230 Arise supporters from across Alabama gathered Tuesday at the State House in Montgomery to urge Gov. Kay Ivey and legislators to make this investment in a healthier Alabama. Expanding Medicaid to cover adults with low incomes would ensure health coverage for nearly 300,000 Alabamians who are uninsured or struggling to afford coverage.

Representatives from March of Dimes Alabama, the Alabama Rural Health Association and Arise’s Cover Alabama campaign joined Arise members to make the case for closing the health coverage gap. Alabama Arise board president Clyde Jones spoke passionately about the benefits of Medicaid expansion.

“We believe that everyone in our state should be able to get medical care they need to be able to survive and thrive. We’re here today to tell our lawmakers that it’s time to close Alabama’s Medicaid coverage gap once and for all,” Jones said.

“This is an investment in Alabama’s future. It would create thousands of jobs and generate billions of dollars of economic activity. It would help rural hospitals stay open to serve everyone in their communities. And the most important thing it would do: It would save lives.”

The news conference was part of Arise’s annual Legislative Day. Photos from the event are available here. A video of the news conference is available here.

Read the full news release on our Legislative Day news conference.