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
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The State of Working Alabama 2021, Section 1 – Introduction: The high cost of failing to protect the common good
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Alabama in March 2020, it didn’t just cause massive human suffering and economic disruption. It also revealed suffering and disruption that have long existed and that policymakers have long neglected – or even perpetuated. COVID-19 has laid bare deep racial and gender inequities in Alabama’s economy and social system that [...]
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The State of Working Alabama 2021, Section 4 – Praised but underprotected: Front-line workers in the pandemic
Where are we now? Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, we’ve grown used to seeing, and applauding, signs in front of hospitals, fire departments, police stations and other emergency service providers saying “Heroes work here.” And we’ve learned to say “thank you” to people serving their communities’ needs at grocery, drug and convenience stores. We’ve learned [...]
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The State of Working Alabama 2021, Section 5 – Why coverage matters: Health care in the time of COVID-19
Where are we now? While the COVID-19 pandemic has slammed all segments of Alabama’s economy and society in one way or another, the health care industry is where most of these effects converge. By the end of 2020, more than 350,000 Alabamians had tested positive or were considered likely positive for the virus, 72% of [...]
Personal Stories
‘Everything is fine, until it isn’t’
[caption id="attachment_4788" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Elizabeth works at a sewing machine in the family's home. (Photo courtesy of Geoff)[/caption] Part 1: A hard winter ahead Winter has been a long time coming for Geoff* and his wife, Elizabeth*. He didn’t think he could actually feel more anxious than he had since March, when he and his [...]
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Medicaid Matters: Charting the Course to a Healthier Alabama
Introduction ALABAMA MEDICAID supports the health care system that serves us all. Whether you have employer health coverage, a private plan, public insurance like Medicaid or Medicare, or no coverage at all, you will likely benefit at some point from facilities and services that Medicaid makes possible. More than a million Alabamians — mostly children [...]
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Medicaid Matters – Section 1: How does Medicaid work in Alabama?
MEDICAID BASICS What you need to know … [caption id="attachment_4117" align="alignright" width="189"] (Photo: #IamMedicaid)[/caption] Medicaid is a joint federal/state program providing health coverage for certain categories of people with low incomes and limited resources. More than 1.2 million Alabamians qualify for Medicaid coverage. Medicaid payments support doctors’ offices, hospitals, clinics and nursing homes that serve [...]
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Medicaid Matters – Section 2: How is Medicaid improving coverage?
MEDICAID IMPROVEMENTS What you need to know... [caption id="attachment_4180" align="alignright" width="225"] (Photo: #IamMedicaid)[/caption] New Medicaid changes seek to improve health and cut costs by rewarding timely and preventive care. The statewide Integrated Care Network (ICN) is coordinating long-term care for about 23,000 Alabamians. Seven regional Alabama Coordinated Health Networks (ACHNs) are coordinating primary and specialty [...]
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Medicaid Matters – Section 3: Who’s still left out of health coverage?
MEDICAID COVERAGE GAP What you need to know ... [caption id="attachment_4207" align="alignright" width="300"] (Photo: Courtesy of Audrey Trippe)[/caption] More than 220,000 Alabamians are caught in the state’s health coverage gap, earning too much to qualify for Medicaid and too little to afford private insurance. Another 120,000 Alabamians are stretching to pay for coverage they can’t [...]
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Medicaid Matters – Section 4: How can we make Alabama healthier?
MEDICAID EXPANSION What you need to know ... [caption id="attachment_4220" align="alignright" width="225"] (Photo: #IamMedicaid)[/caption] Medicaid expansion would help hundreds of thousands of Alabamians get the health care they need. States that have expanded Medicaid have seen improvements in infant and maternal mortality and greater access to treatment for mental illness and substance use disorders. Extending [...]
Personal Stories
Cover Alabama Conversations: Alabama Arise’s Jim Carnes
Alabama Arise's Sherrel Wheeler Stewart talks to Arise policy director Jim Carnes about how Medicaid expansion would save lives and reduce suffering for hundreds of thousands of adults with low incomes across Alabama. They also discuss how expansion would help the state combat the COVID-19 pandemic and rebuild in its aftermath. Listen to the full [...]
