The North Carolina Council on Health Care Coverage

Mission Statement

Background: On December 4, 2020, Governor Roy Cooper announced the formation of The North Carolina Council on Health Care Coverage. The Council includes bipartisan members of the General Assembly and representatives from a variety of sectors including business, nonprofit, and health care. The Council is convened by the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, led by Dr. Mark McClellan, former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

Current State of Health Coverage:

There are 1.2 million uninsured residents in North Carolina – a number that continues to grow.
Mission: The Council is charged with reviewing the state of health care coverage in North Carolina, exploring how other states have increased health care coverage, learning from other Council members, and developing a set of principles to guide policymakers in increasing coverage in the state.

Meetings:

The Council held its first meeting on December 4th and will meet 2-3 more times before completing its work at the end of January 2021. The meetings will include presentations from health care experts on a wide range of options to increase access to coverage. Representatives from other states that have recently undertaken health care reforms will also share their perspective and lessons learned. The agendas will include time for questions from Council members as well as discussion among the group. Council members will be asked to recommend additional agenda items for upcoming meetings.

Summary of Guiding Principles:

During the final meeting, Council members will be asked to recommend guiding principles based on the presentations and discussion during the previous meetings. A brief summary document will be drafted to include a list of the meeting topics, key issues raised by the group, and the guiding principles that were prioritized by Council members. This summary will be shared with all Council members, posted on the Duke-Margolis Center website, and distributed to members of the North Carolina General Assembly as well as other state leaders.

List of Council Members:
• Rep. Gale Adcock, MSN, RN, FNP NC House of Representatives
• Chip Baggett, JD, CEO, NC Medical Society
• Rep. Kristin Baker, MD, NC House of Representatives
• Rep. John Bell, IV, NC House of Representatives
• James Brigman, Pastor, St. Paul United Methodist Church
• Cassandra Brooks, Owner/Operator, Little Believer’s Academy
• Senator Jim Burgin, NC Senate
• Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, Secretary, NC Dept of Health and Human Services
• Casey Cooper, BSN, MBA, FACHE, CEO, Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority
• Rep. Carla Cunningham, RN, BSN, NC House of Representatives
• Andy Ellen, JD, President & General Counsel, NC Retail Merchants Association
• Don Flow, Owner/CEO, Flow Automotive Companies
• Mickey Foster, MHA CEO, FirstHealth of the Carolinas
• Tina Gordan, MPA, CAE, FACHE, CEO, NC Nurses Association
• Lisa Harrison, MPH, Director, Granville-Vance Public Health
• Reg Henderson, VP, Government Relations, Lowe’s
• Senator Ralph Hise, M.Ed. NC Senate
• Vivian Howard, Chef, Restauranteur, and Author
• Senator Brent Jackson, NC Senate
• Senator Joyce Krawiec, NC Senate
• Rep. Donny Lambeth, NC House of Representatives
• Steve Lawler, President, NC Healthcare Association
• Mehul Mankad, MD, DFAPA, Chief Medical Officer, Alliance Health
• Kenya McNeil-Trice, MD, Professor and Vice Chair of Education in Pediatrics, UNC
• Tommy Newton, MD, Family Physician
• Lynne Pierce, Executive Director, SAFE Food Ministry
• Dave Richard, Deputy Secretary, NC Dept of Health and Human Services
• Sen. Gladys Robinson, PhD, NC Senate
• Gary Salamido, MS, President and CEO, NC Chamber
• Merritt Seshul, MD, MBA, FACS, NC Medical Society Representative
• Erica Smith, Executive Director, Care4Carolina
• Tunde Sotunde, MD, MBA, FAAP, President and CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC
• Margaret Weller-Stargell, President and CEO, Coastal Horizons
• Rep. Donna White, RN, NC House of Representatives
• Dale Wiggins, Chairman, Graham County Board of Commissioners
• Senator Mike Woodard, NC Senate
• Patrick Woodie, President, NC Rural Center
• Gene Woods, MBA, MHA, FACHE, President and CEO, Atrium Health