As part of my work at the Council over the last five months, I have been privileged to attend a biweekly conference of community agencies who are devoting significant amounts of time, resources, and passion to spread the message of affordable health insurance through the health insurance marketplace and assist individuals and families with the process of enrollment. Without any state infrastructure for this process, these agencies creatively devised strategies for efficiently reaching out to and connecting those in need of enrollment with those who could assist them. Adam Searing’s opinion piece for the News & Observer describes the dedication of Community Care of NC, Legal Aid of NC, and Enroll America (in addition to many other agencies and organizations not named in the article) to the goal of connecting uninsured people with affordable insurance. Cheers to Mr. Searing for bringing attention to this extensive collaborative process. Mr. Searing also notes the higher enrollment numbers in comparison to other similar states and strengths of our state’s management of Medicaid agencies that are not often mentioned by NC leaders.
On a personal note, I have not only been blessed to be a part of the community work, but I have enjoyed the opportunity to get to know the people behind these strategies. They are an incredibly dedicated and compassionate bunch of individuals who have devoted themselves to this pursuit out of concern for the well-being of the populations they represent and out of hope for a more just and equitable future in our state. I am thankful I have been allowed to observe and participate.
