“Our rural hospital is the first line of care for the people in our community. If someone’s really sick, they need to be stabilized. They can be stabilized here quickly and efficiently. If our hospital closed ... people will die.” That was the blunt reality that Dr. Marsha Raulerson shared at a health care community event that Alabama Arise co-hosted Feb. 27 in Brewton. As we heard from her and many other people that night, Medicaid expansion is a crucial step to save lives and protect health care access in Escambia County and throughout Alabama. Click here to watch highlights from that event. The Brewton event also featured an outstanding presentation on Medicaid expansion by Ryan Hankins, executive director of the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA). Hankins reviewed expansion’s numerous budgetary and economic benefits for our state and explained how new federal incentives make Medicaid expansion a better financial choice than ever before. His conclusion: “Can we afford it? Yes, we can, if we choose to do so.” Click here to watch the full PARCA presentation on Medicaid expansion. P.S. — Speak out for Medicaid expansion! Join us at Cover Alabama’s lobby day this Tuesday in Montgomery. Click the button below to register. | |
