2018 is shaping up to the be the Year of the Woman. From the halls of government to stages and theaters from coast to coast, from marches and protest to industry strikes and the leadership of young students: Women are raising their voices and telling all of us about the world as they see it and the world they want to us become. It’s no surprise the North Carolina Council of Churches has chosen Wisdom of Women as the focus for their bi-annual Critical Issues Seminar. Partnering with a host…
It’s Only 40 Days
Sermon delivered by Jennifer Copeland yesterday, Sunday, February 18 at Millford Hills United Methodist Church in Salisbury, NC. The lectionary texts were Genesis 9:8-17 and Mark 1:9-15. 40 days–rain! 40 days–wilderness! Noah and rainbows; Jesus and temptation. 40 is an important number in our faith tradition. There were 40 years in the wilderness for Moses and the Hebrew slaves who fled Egypt and 40 years of exile in Babylon for the people of Judah. Today, of course, we’re talking days and not years. What can happen in only 40 days?…
Medicare for All
Remarks originally delivered at the Medicare for All Rally held in Durham on Saturday, January 13. We are the fortunate ones. We are here. We are able to be here. It is safe for us to be here. Many people are not here because they are not well, they are not safe, and they are not able to join us. They may have unmet healthcare needs that keep them homebound; they may fear for their personal safety. For those whose voices cannot be heard today for reasons not of their…
An Important Reminder – Less than 5 Days Remain to Get Insurance through the Affordable Care Act
If you do not have insurance through an employer or other group plan, the Affordable Care Act continues to provide an option. Though battered, up to and including, appeals to the US Supreme Court, the law remains in place and benefits millions of people across the country. As the window to enroll for 2018 coverage closes, we encourage you to be sure you are covered, reach out to your family, friends, congregations, and colleagues, to remind them to sign up today. The time period to enroll is 45 days shorter…
Navigating the Health Insurance Marketplace
Open enrollment to sign up for or renew health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) began November 1 and ends December 15, 2017. The ACA Marketplace allows individuals to find some of the best and most affordable healthcare plans available, but it can be a bit overwhelming to navigate. Before you enroll, consider researching the ACA and the ACA Marketplace. Outreach from the federal government regarding healthcare enrollment has been reduced by the current administration, thus placing more responsibility on us as individuals to discover the facts. For a…
Democracy Under the Reign of God
As I continue to follow court cases addressing Gerrymandering at both the federal level (Gill v. Whitford) and in North Carolina (Common Cause v. Rucho), along with the latest move by the North Carolina General Assembly to make judicial elections more partisan, I despair for our democracy. I’ve spoken at press conferences, sat on panel discussions, done interviews, and lain awake at night thinking about the three legged stool that is our democracy and discussing the many ways it is wobbling in North Carolina. I’ve also lain awake thinking about…
Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment Begins November 1st
The period to enroll or renew health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Marketplace, is just around the corner. This year the enrollment period is significantly shorter making December 15th the deadline if you want to have health coverage in 2018. Otherwise, unless you have a qualifying life change, you will not be eligible for coverage until 2019. It’s important to know the details around the open enrollment schedule and to not delay updating your information and choosing a plan.The federal health insurance website will be closed…
The Affordable Care Act Today
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to be one of the most divisive laws passed in the United States in recent history. After several failed attempts by Congress this year to repeal it, there is yet another attempt brewing this week led by Senator Mitch McConnell. Meanwhile, the mandates of the ACA, while far from perfect, continue to provide basic healthcare for millions. The ACA also created benefits that many people enjoy today and may not know are core elements of the law and subject to repeal. These include: eliminating…
Thankful and Ever Vigilant When it Comes to Health Care
We find ourselves in a better place than we might have been when it comes to health care policy. Remaining ever vigilant and recognizing that there is still much work to be done, today should be marked by gratitude that efforts to take health care from millions have, in this moment, failed. While Sen. John McCain’s vote was welcome and crucial, let’s not forget Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, who have both been bullied for refusing to choose party over the well-being of their constituents and their country. What…
What the Senate’s Motion to Proceed Vote Means for Health Care
The U.S. Senate’s vote this afternoon moves the debate forward to potentially repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. What that will look like is anybody’s guess. Senators Burr and Tillis both voted to proceed, but it is unclear what they will be proceeding to. Every proposal to come forward this summer would leave tens of millions more of our sisters and brothers without insurance. Some hybrid of those proposals seems likely, but Senate leaders do not appear to have assembled enough votes yet for any of the plans being…
July 25 Update — Senate Health Care Vote Appears Likely Today
It appears that the U.S. Senate will vote today on some sort of health care action. What they’ll be voting on, however, is unclear even to some of them. This appears to be a race so that the Senate can say that they got something done. Please call Senator Tillis and Senator Burr today. Ask their offices if they know specifically what they’ll be voting on and how they plan to vote. Remind them that none of the plans presented so far to repeal the Affordable Care Act actually helps…
Senate May Still Vote on Health Care; Please Keep Calling
No one seems completely clear on whether the Senate will vote next week on health care or what they will vote on if they do. That might be deliberate in part — an effort to reduce the pressure on their members who will be home this weekend. Or it could be because the Senate leadership plans to move forward with whatever seems likeliest to be approved, and that decision won’t be made until the necessarily deals are struck. What we know about every plan that has been proposed, however, is…
Revised Health Care Bill, Same Devastating Effects
Yesterday, the Senate unveiled a revised version of the Better Care Reconciliation Act. According to a report from our friends at the North Carolina Justice Center the changes, and their effects, include: Allowing consumers to use health savings accounts to pay insurance premiums, which would disproportionately benefit higher-income earners, doing little to make insurance affordable for consumers with low and moderate incomes. Offering a little more money to states for stabilizing premiums—especially when the state has to contribute a significant match up to 35 percent—does not offset the massive cuts…
Healing Miracles
Just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” — Luke 13:11-12 The House health care plan would leave nearly 24 million people without health insurance; the proposed Senate plan “only” 22 million. The numbers are so staggering we lose sight of their meaning, but consider the Research Triangle Region (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill) has…
With Prescription Medication, Verify Before You Buy
Would you be Surprised to know 97 percent of online pharmacies are illegitimate? The North Carolina Council of Churches has joined with Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and the Secretary of State’s Advisory Council to Combat Counterfeit Medication to launch an important new consumer safety campaign, Verify Before You Buy. The campaign works to protect North Carolinians from a growing and potentially fatal, health and safety threat – fake online pharmacies. More consumers than ever are going online to buy goods and services, even fresh groceries. Combined with the soaring…