Frank Amend: Insure all N.C. residents

Regarding the Dec. 26 news article “Lawmakers considered but rejected perk for McCrory”: I am encouraged to see lawmakers’ concern for outgoing Gov. Pat McCrory’s need to maintain his health insurance coverage after he leaves office.

As a heart survivor who faced life without affordable access to health insurance, I know how important insurance is to my health, both physical and economic, and that of my family.

I hope this concern about access to health insurance will also extend to all North Carolinians. Currently more than 300,000 of our neighbors can’t access affordable health insurance and despite perceptions two-thirds are employed. These are individuals working full-time and raising families at oftentimes multiple jobs that can’t afford health insurance.

It’s time for us to come together as a state and create the issue of assuring all North Carolinians have adequate, affordable health insurance so all of our residents can access quality health care. Healthy North Carolinians make for a healthy workforce, economy and state.

This story was originally published January 5, 2017 at 11:39 AM with the headline "Frank Amend: Insure all N.C. residents."