Raleigh, N.C.—The struggle to access adequate health care in North Carolina is the subject of a new documentary by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). The film highlights hardworking individuals and families across North Carolina—who currently do not make enough money to afford quality health insurance but make too much to qualify for Medicaid—thus falling into what’s known as the Medicaid coverage gap.
WHAT: The documentary “Left Behind: Health and Hope in North Carolina” is part of ACS CAN’s
Medicaid Covers US public education campaign intended to foster important conversations amongst decision makers, community leaders, and health care professionals about the role and critical services provided by Medicaid. A short trailer on the film can be found here:
www.MedicaidCoversUs.org/ncfilm.
- Nearly 60,000 North Carolinians will be diagnosed with cancer in 2020, and access to affordable, comprehensive care is critical to their life and survivorship.
- One in 10 North Carolinians are currently uninsured. It is estimated that 40% of the uninsured are individuals in the coverage gap, who could gain access to comprehensive and affordable health insurance coverage if the lawmakers expanded eligibility for the state’s Medicaid program.
- 69% of uninsured North Carolinians in the coverage gap are employed adults, working primarily in occupations that do not offer affordable health insurance.
- Medicaid is an important source of coverage for people with cancer and cancer survivors, including more than two million Americans (children and adults under age 65) with a history of cancer.
WHO: The documentary features the stories of individuals, families, and health care professionals in North Carolina, including Robin Tutor-Marcum from the N.C. Agromedicine Institute and Dr. Jubilee Brown from Levine Cancer Institute.
A panel discussion and question and answer period will be held after the screening including:
- Richard Horodyski, uninsured NC resident featured in the film
- Dr. Karen Winkfield, director of the Office of Cancer Health Equity, Wake Forest Baptist Health
- Ky Dickens, filmmaker
WHEN: Thursday, January 30, 2020, 6-8p.m.
WHERE: North Carolina Museum of History, 5 East Edenton St., Raleigh, NC 27601
*Refreshments will be available prior to the screening*
HOW: To attend, please RSVP to Vanessa Gray at
[email protected] or 336-202-5266. Panel speakers and ACS CAN’s North Carolina Government Relations Director Christine Weason will be available for interviews before or after the screening.
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About ACS CAN
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is making cancer a top priority for public officials and candidates at the federal, state and local levels. ACS CAN empowers advocates across the country to make their voices heard and influence evidence-based public policy change as well as legislative and regulatory solutions that will reduce the cancer burden. As the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN is critical to the fight for a world without cancer. For more information, visit
www.fightcancer.org.
