HEALTH CARE RESOURCES
At Piedmont Rising, we know it can be difficult to navigate the process of accessing affordable health care and talking to the elected officials who make crucial decisions on your behalf. This guide is meant to help start the process, but if you need additional help finding resources, please email us at info@piedmontrising.org.
GUIDE TO HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS
Title | Description | Who Qualifies | How to Access |
|---|---|---|---|
Children's Health Insurance Program | Federal health insurance program that provides coverage for children in families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid | Any child under 19 years old who is uninsured and lives in a one-person household that earns less than $24,980 annually, or $8,840 more for each additional adult | Enrollment is open year round and can be accessed through HealthCare.gov. |
Medicaid | Federal health care program, run by each state, to provide health care for low-income residents | Varies by state. In North Carolina, people who are 65 or older, blind or disabled and children under 21 and caretakers who also earn within 100% of the federal poverty line | Enrollment is open year round and can be accessed through HealthCare.gov or the NC Medicaid office |
Medicare | Federal health insurance program for older and disabled Americans | Anyone 65 or older and certain younger people with a disability | Enrollment opens 3 months before your 65th birthday and continues for 4 months and can be accessed at Medicare.gov. If you are still working and have employer insurance at that point, a Special Enrollment Period starts after you lose that coverage. |
Affordable Care Act | Federal program, also known as the ACA, that created a health insurance exchange to provide affordable plans | Anyone without health insurance | Enroll through HealthCare.gov during Open Enrollment (November 1, 2020 to December 15, 2020) or a Special Enrollment Period (within 60 days of losing insurance, marriage, divorce, leaving incarceration, and many other life changes). |
NORTH CAROLINA RESOURCES
North Carolina Association of Free & Charitable Clinics
Helps the uninsured and underinsured find local clinics that provide free or discounted health care
NC Department of Health and Human Services Rural Health Centers
Provide health care clinics to rural communities that accept Medicare and Medicaid
A group of ACA navigators from across the state that help people enroll through the Health Insurance Marketplace
Provides a range of services for older North Carolinians
North Carolina Free Dental Clinics
A list of free or low-cost dental clinics in North Carolina
CONTACT YOUR LAWMAKERS
The White House: 202-456-1111 or submit a message at www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
U.S. Senator Thom Tillis: 202-224-6342 or submit a message at tillis.senate.gov/email-me
U.S. Senator Richard Burr: 202-224-3154 or submit a message at www.burr.senate.gov/contact/email
did you know?
If you enroll in an ACA plan, you are likely eligible for financial assistance. Nearly 9 million people who have health insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchange, or 87 percent, receive subsidies that help pay for the cost of their premium. As of 2019, the average subsidy was $514 per month.
For young adults under 30, the Affordable Care Act marketplace offers catastrophic plans, which are less expensive but only cover emergencies and some preventative care. This can provide an accessible option for younger people after they leave their parents’ insurance plan.