Today, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) released information about how the Republican budget plan, which narrowly passed the House of Representatives, would impact local residents. The plan includes massive cuts to healthcare and nutritional assistance funding, potentially harming hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians.
“The Republican budget will cause irreparable harm to the people of Wake County,” said Rep. Ross. “Everyone in the Triangle needs to know what this budget does and how it will harm our community. This extreme plan rips health care and nutrition assistance away from the families who need it most. I’m fighting back because Wake County deserves better than partisan cuts that make life harder for our people.”
Information about the impact of the funding cuts can be found below:
Healthcare Cuts
- Across North Carolina, between 339,000 and 496,000 people are at risk of losing their healthcare.
- In NC-02, an estimated 27,023 people will lose healthcare, including 16,300 who rely on ACA coverage.
- Of the nearly 110,000 people in NC-02 who rely on Medicaid coverage, an estimated 7,000 to 11,000 will lose coverage.
- The Center for American Progress projects that 22 residents in NC-02 will die every year due to reduced Medicaid coverage.
- Per the House Committee on the Budget Minority Staff, “A 60-year-old couple with a household income of $85,000 in NC-02 would see their health insurance costs increase by $15,852 per year – a 219% increase in premiums.”
Food Assistance Cuts
- In NC-02, 48,000 residents receive support through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
- The Republican budget changes will result in the following:
- 2,000 adults age 55-64 at risk of completely losing SNAP benefits in NC-02 (47,000 in the state)
- 5,000 adults age 18-64 with school-age children and no disability in NC-02 completely losing benefits (127,000 in the state)
- 13,000 adults age 18-64 with school-age children and no disability in NC-02 losing some benefits (317,000 in the state)