State lawmakers passed Medicaid expansion in 2023, but so far, only 23,000 of 40,000 Forsyth County residents have enrolled. County officials suspect many don’t know they qualify for coverage.
State lawmakers passed Medicaid expansion in 2023, but so far, only 23,000 of 40,000 Forsyth County residents have enrolled. County officials suspect many don’t know they qualify for coverage.
State lawmakers passed Medicaid expansion in 2023, but so far, only 23,000 of 40,000 Forsyth County residents have enrolled. County officials suspect many don’t know they qualify for coverage.
If you live in Forsyth County, you may be one of thousands of people eligible to get help paying your medical bills.
County officials estimate 17,000 residents could qualify for Medicaid coverage, but have yet to enroll.
“We need to find them and we need applications on them,” Jonelle Berky, the county’s Medicaid Services Director, said.
Medicaid is the federal and state health insurance program for low-income Americans. It covers a range of medical expenses including doctor’s visits, hospital stays, prescription drugs, pregnancy care, mental health services, etc.
Berky says many in Forsyth County are enrolled in the program.
“There’s a lot of folks right here in Forsyth County that are receiving the benefit, and that’s about 160,000 folks,” she said.
State lawmakers voted to expand Medicaid in 2023 for people between 19 and 64 up to 138% of the federal poverty line. Berky says prior to that decision, there were additional requirements that made many ineligible.
“At 19, what usually had happened historically here in North Carolina is that folks lost their Medicaid benefits,” she said. “And that the age group of 19 to 64, the only way that you qualified is if you were blind, disabled, had children, or were pregnant.”
However, when the legislation went into effect, 600,000 additional North Carolinians became qualified for Medicaid.
Berky says in Forsyth County, about 40,000 more people gained access to Medicaid, but so far, only 23,000 have taken advantage of it. She thinks the other 17,000 may not know they are eligible or incorrectly think they are not eligible.
“What we have learned in the course of this expansion is that folks that have been terminated or denied before have been less likely to reapply because they are still in that realm of saying, ‘Well, I didn’t qualify before,’ or ‘I was denied,'” she said.
She added that there are many myths about what does or doesn’t disqualify someone for Medicaid.
“We are not concerned with how much money you have in the bank for Medicaid expansion, or if you own a vehicle or a home. Those things we’re not looking at,” she said. “We’re looking at your monthly income, if you’re a citizen or a qualified individual, along with your residency of North Carolina. “
She says getting young adults to know that they qualify has been a particular challenge. Regardless of age, she says some in that 17,000 are especially in need of health care coverage.
“The folks that are fighting addiction, folks that are homeless, we know that addiction and mental illness is plaguing a lot of that community,” she said. “And Medicaid can help with that.”
She says the best way to know if one is qualified for Medicaid is to apply.
“If folks are not sure, ‘How am I possibly one of the 17,000 that are here or Forsyth County that possibly are eligible for the benefit? Is that me?'” she said. “What I say is, it probably is you, and so please make the application. Please come see us.”
Basic eligibility requirements for Medicaid include two categories:
To qualify for NC Medicaid, you must:
Family income requirements depend on the size of your family and age. Click here for a detailed breakdown on the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services website.
To apply for Medicaid in Forsyth County, visit the Department of Social Services located at 741 North Highland Ave., Winston-Salem, NC 27101.
Applications can be made there Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
You can also apply online by clicking here.
If you have any questions about applying, call 336-703-3800.
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