Archived Opinion

N.C. loses by not expanding Medicaid

To the Editor:

An earlier letter requires concrete proof of the success of the Affordable Care Act. Those truly interested in facts need to research the impact of expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act in the Republican dominated states of

Arkansas, Arizona and Kentucky, as well as its impact in Washington state. All of these states have experienced a dramatic decrease in the number of uninsured people, vast economic benefits to their health care systems and economic growth. 

North Carolina has 500,000 uninsured citizens and each day this state returns $4.9 million to the federal government. It is unproductive to speculate about future outcomes since no one of us can predict the future. 

What is the current status of North Carolina’s healthcare system resulting from the state’s rejection of the Affordable Care Act? Describing present conditions, avoiding generalizations, speculation and unpredictable future possibilities, the writer needs to provide factual examples demonstratinghow rejecting the ACA is benefitting our state and its citizens. Give us the facts only, please.

Margery Abel 

Franklin

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