Feel our wrath, Senators!

SHAME on our US Senators from NC – Senator Thom Tillis and Senator Richard Burr – who hide from their constituents, and put party over country. Senator Thom Tillis refuses to let his constituents near the federal building anymore because we protest. Outrageous. Well, we protest because he won’t talk to us. And we’ll be back.

Thanks to Burr and Tillis, the Senate is proceeding to debate an unknown healthcare plan. Just one of them standing up for their constituents would have stopped this horror! The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has helped tens of millions of people – and the Republican Senate is intent on destroying it, and destroying these people and more in the process. NC residents -tell Senators Burr and Tillis that you know that they voted against providing life-saving treatment to millions of people in the United States. Tell them that they owe us better than that – improve ACA and use a decent bi-partisan process to do it. Calls are fast and easy!

SHAME on our Senators, who hide from their constituents, and put party over country. Photo Credit: Gailya Paliga

Articles on Harm Trumpcare Would Do to Women’s Health

Read more about Medicaid and the damage that Trumpcare will do in the following articles, among other places. People need to realize the devastation the Senate Trumpcare Bill has on women.  In addition, North Carolina would fare the worst of any states in the country under Trumpcare.

Leaders from Feminist Majority, National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, National Organization for Women (NOW) and the Women’s March on Washington came together today in Washington, D.C. to discuss the dangers posed by Trumpcare to women across race, class and age—and to devise a plan to stop it. These leaders are

• National NOW President Terry O’Neill
• Feminist Majority’s Eleanor Smeal
• Janel George, Director of Federal Reproductive Rights and Health at National Women’s Law Center
• Michelle Batchelor, Deputy Director of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda

Photo Credit: Feminist Majority

The devastation of Senate health care plan on North Carolina needs to be understood.

“If the Senate health care plan becomes law, no state’s residents would fare worse than North Carolina, according to a new study on the proposed bill. That includes 1.3 million people in North Carolina, according to a new study – the fourth-most in the nation, and the highest percentage of people losing coverage in any state.”

According to “1.3 million in NC could lose health insurance under Senate health plan,” 6/28/17, http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/national-politics/article158456069.html.

These articles are on Medicaid and the damage that Trumpcare will do.

Cruel Senate Trumpcare Bill Targets Women

While even President Trump described the House Trumpcare bill as ‘mean,’ his colorful verdict is an uncommon understatement as it applies to the House and Senate bills’ treatment of women’s healthcare. Trumpcare is ‘cruel’ to women, and especially harsh to North Carolinians.

Trumpcare allows the elimination of women’s access to healthcare, letting insurance companies refuse to provide maternity care, slashing Medicaid payments (by $834 billion in the House bill/$772 billion in the Senate bill), and restricting Title X reimbursement. Medicaid is the nation’s public health insurance program for people with low incomes, the disabled and the elderly. The Medicaid program covers about 75 million Americans, or 1 in 5, including many with complex and costly needs for care. Seventy percent (70%) of the adults covered by Medicaid are women. Title X is a federal program which provides funding family planning services to people beyond Medicaid, like low-income women who are not Medicaid-eligible. Their recipients? Women.

The Senate Trumpcare bill will cut Medicaid by almost $1 trillion dollars (that’s trillion with a ‘t’). These policies have disproportionate and disastrous consequences for women – young, middle-aged, and elderly, alike – especially in North Carolina. More than half of all births in North Carolina are covered by Medicaid – 54% in North Carolina in 2014, while other states vary from 24% to 72%, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Trumpcare allows insurance companies to refuse to cover maternity and newborn care as part of the 10 essential health benefits that insurance companies would no longer be required to cover.

Input on Medicaid Reform Due by May 25, 2017

Do you know NC is proposing big changes to ‘reform’ Medicaid, and now is the time to give input on it? “The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is seeking additional public input from April 25 to 11:59 p.m. on May 25, 2017, on the Medicaid and NC Health Choice programs transformation (also known as “Medicaid reform”), according to NCTracks notice here.”

From Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2015

DHHS also held four public input sessions around the state during May. Dates are listed in same NCTracks notice.  It says “Pre-registration is not necessary; please review speaker guidelines”. The last of those is Tuesday, May 16.

As always, NC Policy Watch is a great source of information on this issue. Learn more about so called “Medicaid Reform” changes at

• “The Medicaid blockade impacts hard working, average North Carolinians” – See more at: http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2017/01/25/medicaid-blockade-impacts-hard-working-average-north-carolinians/
• “Isn’t it ironic? The Medicaid blockade prevents health aides from getting health coverage” – See more at: http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2017/02/09/isnt-ironic-medicaid-blockade-prevents-health-aides-getting-health-coverage/
• “Another byproduct of the Medicaid Blockade: Catastrophic medical bills, massive debt for families” – See more at: http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2017/02/22/another-byproduct-medicaid-blockade-catastrophic-medical-bills-massive-debt-families/

See more on giving input at https://www.nctracks.nc.gov/content/public/providers/provider-communications/2017-announcements/Medicaid-Request-for-Public-Input.html.

Action: Stop AHCA/Trumpcare NOW! Here is how..

Did you write NC (US) Senators Burr and Tillis about stopping the AHCA (Trumpcare) bill yet? The AHCA bill that the Republicans forced through the US House on May 4, 2017  is devastating. 

“This bill will put women directly in harm’s way by making health care inaccessible to people with pre-existing conditions–including those who have survived domestic violence, experienced postpartum depression, or undergone a cesarean section. ” As NOW.org wrote in their suggested email action at http://now.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/AHCAEmailYourSenators.pdf.

Congress’ own Congressional Budget Office estimated that 24 million people would lose health insurance from the plan. This estimate is from the March 2017 version of the bill that was not put up for a vote (due to expected failure), and the current plan (May 2017) is only worse. Read more about the harm this plan would do at https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/115th-congress-2017-2018/costestimate/americanhealthcareact.pdf.

A more readable description of the damage this bill does is at Vox.com, “These are all the people the Republican health care bill will hurt,” 5/4/17, at

Legislative Update #10 – Medicaid, Abortion Pill Forced Lies, ERA

Republican resistance to expanding Medicaid is buckling.  Four Republican House members, including three House Health Committee Chairmen, have sponsored a bill (HB62) that would significantly expand Medicaid coverage to include low-income adults.  The bill would create a program called Carolina Cares and would be paid for by a new tax on hospitals.  It is modeled on Indiana’s program approved by then-Governor Mike Pence and includes a premium and a work requirement.  Because it does not conform to Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, it would require a federal waiver to be implemented.  This bill marks the first time prominent North Carolina Republicans have supported any expansion to the Medicaid program to include people not already covered.  For more details, see:  http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article143388024.html

Abortion is back in the General Assembly.  Two new bills—one good and one very bad—have been filed.

Read about the Medicaid bill, the abortion bills, ERA updates, Lawsuit updates, Voter ID/Voter Suppression Law updates and bill tracking in North_Carolina_NOW_Legislative_Update_#10.9Apr17.

NC Legislative Update #6 – 3/12/17

NC NOW legislative update #6 includes damage from the Trump administration’s new interpretation of Title IX, lawsuit updates, and bill tracking.

This Week

In light of the Trump administration’s new interpretation that Title IX does not allow transgender people to use the restroom consistent with their gender identity, the U. S. Supreme Court refused to hear the Virginia case concerning this issue.  The case was sent back to the lower court for reconsideration in light of the Trump administration’s new rule.  This non-decision will have the effect of making transgender bathroom rights a state-by-state issue.  The issues can still be challenged in federal court on constitutional grounds, but losing Title IX is a serious blow to framing a successful lawsuit.  The constitutionality of the new interpretation of Title IX could be challenged, but no suit on these grounds has been filed.  This refusal of the Supreme Court to rule in this case will impact both the North Carolina lawsuits and the effort to repeal HB2.  For more details, see:  http://www.newsobserver.com/news/nation-world/national/article136866748.html

Update on Women’s Marches in DC and around US on 1/21/17

Organizing a national Women’s March on Washington in Washington DC has been an adventure. First, let us recognize that there is a lot of interest in protesting in DC. Asheville NOW filled a bus in less than a week. Charlotte NOW is filling one now. And there are about 20 buses from North Carolina alone. At first the organizers didn’t realize they absolutely needed permits, where to send the buses, etc. Then, when Alice Cohan, of Feminist Majority (formerly of National Organization for Women/NOW) jumped in to help get permits, they found out many groups tried for permits for that date and those places, and they were working through the process. Then things changed and all protesters were being blocked from using normal rally/protest sites like large sections of Pennsylvania Avenue, as well as the Washington Monument, the National Mall and the Lincoln Memorial! Now there is an update from that – we finally have a site. But here is some background on the process. Never discount a bunch of angry women!

Picture from the March for Women’s Lives in 2004. Raleigh NOW delivered 3 buses and Mandy Carter of SONG delivered another from Durham. Our 4 buses traveled together to the national march.

Medicaid Reform and Expansion Panel Writeup

NC NOW still sees the need to expand Medicaid and is worried about the plans to reform Medicaid.  A few of us attended a panel “Medicaid Reform and Expansion: A Panel Discussion” on April 20th, 2016 at the NCSU McKimmon Conference Center (starting at 7:30pm).  This League of Women Voters (LWV) sponsored event featured a panel discussion about Medicaid reform and expansion in North Carolina. Panelists were Susan Shumaker, President of the Cone Health Foundation; Rob Luisana of Pilot Benefits; and Representative Marilyn Avila, House District 40 (R-Wake).  Dr. Jim Foster was the moderator and MC (he is standing at the podium in this picture).  Dr. Foster is a Retired Cardiologist, and a member of the LWV-ODC.

Photo Credit: LWV-Orange/Durham/Chatham Counties

First Dr. Foster explained the difference between Medicaid and Medicare.

10th annual HK on J march and rally in Raleigh – Feb 13, 2016

Join NC NOW chapters in the 10th annual Historic Thousands on Jones St March and Rally on Saturday, Feb 13, 2016.

Gathering begins at 8:30am.  Pre-rally entertainment begins at 9:00 a.m.  March step-off is at 10am. The march will take us to the mass people’s assembly on the doorstep of the State Capitol.

Look for NOW rounds and our NC NOW banner.  You can always bring your own signs – so much to say!

Be sure to dress for the weather!

More at http://www.hkonj.com/moral_march_on_raleigh

Here are some pictures from last year’s HK on J.

NC NOW group before the HK on J march. Photo Credit: Marena Groll

NC NOW’s banner at HKonJ.  Never Another Season Of Silence! Photo Credit: Gailya Paliga