Churches’ Goals

On Wednesday, we celebrate the one-year anniversary of passing the Affordable Health Care Act. While this legislation is not perfect, it is a crucial step toward improving our current health care system. The N.C. Council of Churches and most mainline denominations have long advocated universal health coverage, where each person receives health, wholeness and human dignity. The health reform act improves many current disparities and when fully implemented will provide 30 million additional people with health care.

Some recent articles have noted problems with our current system:

Two March 5 articles: one on a cancer patient dealing with disagreements between providers and insurers, and one on bills before our General Assembly to provide a health benefits exchange that is consumer-oriented and excludes voting members with conflicts of interests.

May those of us in faith communities use this anniversary as incentive to work for health care for all God’s children and to improve the health care act and implement it fairly.

Sandy Irving

N.C. Council of Churches Volunteer for Health Care Reform

Raleigh