Medicaid Expansion
Alabama Arise is proud to be a member of the Cover Alabama Coalition, a group of advocates, businesses, faith leaders and health care professionals making the case for Medicaid expansion. Click here to learn more about Cover Alabama.
Hundreds of thousands of Alabama adults have no health coverage. Tens of thousands of them suffer daily because they can't afford treatment for chronic health conditions like cancer, diabetes or heart disease. Hundreds die every year as a result. Meanwhile, eight rural hospitals have closed in Alabama since 2011, and many others are at risk of the same fate.
Medicaid expansion would reduce human suffering and strengthen Alabama's health care system. It would save lives and deliver financial peace of mind to families who desperately need it. And it would create jobs and generate tax revenues by pumping billions of federal dollars into the state's economy. Arise's research reveals why Medicaid expansion is the right choice for Alabama from economic, health and moral standpoints.
Featured Resources
Personal Stories
‘No one should have to go through what I did’
When Diana Isom became pregnant with her first son, Keenan, back in 2021, it was what she’d always wanted.
“My husband and I had been trying for years. I was so happy, but immediately started thinking about timing,” Diana said.
Timing is always a big consideration for most first-time parents, but for Diana and her husband, Luke, things were a little more complicated. When Luke lost his job suddenly, he had to start training in a new technical field. This meant he lost the private health coverage they had previously.
Resources
Alabama Arise toolkit on the Medicaid ‘unwinding’ period
Alabamians at every income level should be able to get the health care they need to survive and thrive. Medicaid plays a vital role toward meeting that goal, providing health coverage for more than 1 million Alabamians with low incomes. But tens of thousands of Alabamians may lose their Medicaid coverage by June 2024 in a process called “unwinding.”
Personal Stories
See the Gap: ‘Medicaid expansion would end up creating more revenue for the business’
Personal Stories
See the Gap: ‘I needed help but couldn’t afford it’
The smiles in Eryn Mullins’ photos jump off the screen. But she’ll be the first to tell you it wasn’t always this way. “I was on my dad’s insurance, and then suddenly, I wasn’t. I was uninsured for three years after that,” Eryn said.
Fact Sheet
It’s time to expand Medicaid and close Alabama’s coverage gap
Personal Stories
Cover Alabama Lobby Day 2023
Report
PARCA presentation on Medicaid expansion in Brewton
Personal Stories
Brewton community event on Medicaid expansion in Alabama
Fact Sheet
Expand Medicaid and close Alabama’s health coverage gap
Personal Stories
See The Gap: ‘Possibilities that we just can’t afford’
Kayla is a talented, young hairstylist who has built up a successful clientele in one of Birmingham’s hippest salons. She’s been a stylist for 12 years and said she loves the independence it gives her. She sees dozens of clients every week and takes great pride in her work.
“It’s a great industry, but it’s not taken as seriously as it needs to be,” Kayla said. “Especially relative to the number of people that come through our doors to get their hair done.
Kayla grew up in a small town in Walker County but started her career in an “Over the Mountain” suburb south of Birmingham. The salon served a wealthier clientele, but it didn’t offer many benefits to stylists. Among the benefits she didn’t have: employer-provided health insurance.