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Friend --
The COVID-19 crisis is exposing the many holes and gaps in our
healthcare system,
and the many racial and economic disparities
that too often limit or deny access
to healthcare, education and
employment.
Did you know that Black people are only 22% of North
Carolina’s population, yet
they make up 39% of
COVID019 cases and deaths where victim’s race is
known?
Disparities in education, access to
healthcare, and jobs and adequate wages put
Black
North Carolinians at greater risk of exposure to COVID-19, and death
from
the virus.
Our state’s failure to expand Medicaid makes these problems even
worse. People
of color would benefit tremendously from Medicaid
expansion, and expansion is
today a literal matter of life and
death for the 500,000 who would benefit from it.
But Senate leader
Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore continue to reject
Medicaid
expansion, even as we all do our part to end this public
health
emergency.
Can you call Senate Leader
Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore NOW
and
tell them
to expand Medicaid to address the racial disparities in this
pandemic’s
deadly attack, and help stop the virus’ spread and the lives
it is taking in poor
communities of color?
Here's how to do
it:
If calling from a cell phone: Please
dial 1-855-408-2357. It will route you through
to the first legislator’s office and then you
will receive a text prompting you to call
the other legislator’s office.
If calling from a landline: Please
dial 1-855-408-2357 twice in order to speak to
both legislators.
Sample Script
Dear Senator Berger/Speaker
Moore, My name is___. Please expand Medicaid to
make sure North Carolina gets through this
crisis and beyond. There are too many
people of color dying from COVID-19 and
you have been elected to represent and
serve all people in the great state of
North Carolina. We need Medicaid expansion
to make sure people can get the care and
treatment they need from this crisis and
beyond. Thank you.
You can also email Berger and
Moore. Berger is at [email protected] and
Moore is at
[email protected]
Sample Email:
Dear Senator Berger and Speaker
Moore,
Please expand Medicaid to address
the racial disparities COVID-19 is inflicting on
communities and people of color, who are
more likely to be uninsured, have
higher rates of chronic conditions such as asthma, and
more likely to work in
“essential” services that everyone else relies on to
survive. While lower and
working income people, disproportionately people of
color, are providing these
services so that the rest of us can survive and get what
we need, they are at a
higher risk for COVID-19 infections, complications and
death.
Please expand Medicaid to address
the structural racism and health disparities
that continue to persist in our society.
Medicaid expansion would not only protect
people from death and infection, but also
protect families from medical debt.
More than ever, our state needs leadership to come
together and find a solution
to expand Medicaid.
Sincerely,
Thanks for taking this action for healthcare access and
justice. Everyone needs
and deserves it, now more
than ever.
The Race and Gender Equity (RAGE) Team at Action
NC
Action NC
http://www.actionnc.org/
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