NOTE: This letter was submitted to the Wilkes Journal Patriot by Eva Engle in response to the "Right To Life" resolution before the Wilkes County Commissioners on November 2nd, 2021.
To the Editor:
The Wilkes County Board of Commissioners in a special meeting on November 2 considered a proposed resolution which stated that Wilkes County will “defend the unalienable right to life….of all human beings”. The resolution further stated that the Board “resolves to use all means within its power to support the sanctity of human life in accordance with its God-given responsibilities as the people’s elected governing body”.
Curiously, the speakers supporting the resolution and the Commissioners apparently overlooked the greatest challenge to life in the County by not amending the resolution to add support for expanding Medicaid in North Carolina, thus providing basic medical care to Wilkes citizens who currently have no health care insurance. This measure would certainly defend the right to life of all human beings. North Carolina is one of only 12 states in the nation that has not expanded Medicaid to help low income citizens pay for medical care. U. S. Census figures show that in 2019 an estimated 11,000 residents of Wilkes County were uninsured. Those folks, when sick, end up in our doctors’ offices and the emergency room at Wilkes Regional Hospital and increase the unpaid bill accounts there.
Rural counties are especially impacted by the lack of expansion because of the strain on rural hospitals caused by emergency services provided to persons who have no health insurance. Of particular interest is the fact that five other County Boards of Commissioners in western North Carolina have adopted resolutions urging the General Assembly to expand coverage in the state. The Chair of Swain County’s Board has said, “It’s not a Republican-Democrat thing at all. It’s what the needs are within our County and the people who need these services.” How can any group of concerned citizens and a “peoples elected governing body” consider an action addressing the sanctity of life and ignore the single most important action that would directly improve the lives of citizens of our County?
A related issue for the future of Wilkes County is the continued economic health of our hospital, Wilkes Medical Center. An expansion of Medicaid would have an estimated annual positive impact of $1,300,000 on the hospital and could clearly affect its future. Is it unreasonable to expect that our elected County Board be concerned about this? Are Board members, for example, ready to supply County funds to cover a future deficit at the hospital or would they support Medicaid expansion in the state to keep the hospital open?
The issue of the uninsured is more acute in 2021 because of the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic. The current epidemic has likely expanded the number of those without health insurance, with one estimate that states without expansion will see a 40% increase in the uninsured. How can elected officials and citizens concerned with life in a community adopt a resolution in support of life in Wilkes in 2021 with no attention to how the County authority may address the COVID-19 threat?
The resolution under discussion concludes, “the Wilkes County Board of Commissioners hereby resolves to use all means within its power to support the sanctity of human life in accordance with its God-given responsibilities as the people's elected governing body” . The citizens of the county are right to question if using “ all means within its power” to support the sanctity of human life is met when the single most important means of expanding and improving health care in the county--Medicaid expansion--is totally ignored.
Sincerely,
Eva P. Ingle
The five Counties are Clay, Jackson, Macon, Swain, and Watauga.
To the Editor:
The Wilkes County Board of Commissioners in a special meeting on November 2 considered a proposed resolution which stated that Wilkes County will “defend the unalienable right to life….of all human beings”. The resolution further stated that the Board “resolves to use all means within its power to support the sanctity of human life in accordance with its God-given responsibilities as the people’s elected governing body”.
Curiously, the speakers supporting the resolution and the Commissioners apparently overlooked the greatest challenge to life in the County by not amending the resolution to add support for expanding Medicaid in North Carolina, thus providing basic medical care to Wilkes citizens who currently have no health care insurance. This measure would certainly defend the right to life of all human beings. North Carolina is one of only 12 states in the nation that has not expanded Medicaid to help low income citizens pay for medical care. U. S. Census figures show that in 2019 an estimated 11,000 residents of Wilkes County were uninsured. Those folks, when sick, end up in our doctors’ offices and the emergency room at Wilkes Regional Hospital and increase the unpaid bill accounts there.
Rural counties are especially impacted by the lack of expansion because of the strain on rural hospitals caused by emergency services provided to persons who have no health insurance. Of particular interest is the fact that five other County Boards of Commissioners in western North Carolina have adopted resolutions urging the General Assembly to expand coverage in the state. The Chair of Swain County’s Board has said, “It’s not a Republican-Democrat thing at all. It’s what the needs are within our County and the people who need these services.” How can any group of concerned citizens and a “peoples elected governing body” consider an action addressing the sanctity of life and ignore the single most important action that would directly improve the lives of citizens of our County?
A related issue for the future of Wilkes County is the continued economic health of our hospital, Wilkes Medical Center. An expansion of Medicaid would have an estimated annual positive impact of $1,300,000 on the hospital and could clearly affect its future. Is it unreasonable to expect that our elected County Board be concerned about this? Are Board members, for example, ready to supply County funds to cover a future deficit at the hospital or would they support Medicaid expansion in the state to keep the hospital open?
The issue of the uninsured is more acute in 2021 because of the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic. The current epidemic has likely expanded the number of those without health insurance, with one estimate that states without expansion will see a 40% increase in the uninsured. How can elected officials and citizens concerned with life in a community adopt a resolution in support of life in Wilkes in 2021 with no attention to how the County authority may address the COVID-19 threat?
The resolution under discussion concludes, “the Wilkes County Board of Commissioners hereby resolves to use all means within its power to support the sanctity of human life in accordance with its God-given responsibilities as the people's elected governing body” . The citizens of the county are right to question if using “ all means within its power” to support the sanctity of human life is met when the single most important means of expanding and improving health care in the county--Medicaid expansion--is totally ignored.
Sincerely,
Eva P. Ingle
The five Counties are Clay, Jackson, Macon, Swain, and Watauga.