Press release from WNC Health Advocates, shared Sept. 25:
ASHEVILLE – WNC Health Advocates presents “True Stories,” an event offering information on the Affordable Care Act, changes to the state’s mental health system and more from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30, in the chapel of First Baptist Church, Oak Street.
The event includes a PowerPoint presentation on how the law affects real people and their families, information from experts on mental health, children’s health, disabilities and more, plus myths and facts about the law and a timeline of its implementation.
According to Leslie Boyd, founder and director of the agency, millions of people have seen the benefits of the Affordable Care Act already, including more than 3 million young adults who can remain on their parents’ policies until they turn 26; up to 5 million children with pre-existing conditions such as birth defects or asthma who no longer can be denied coverage; people who had reached the annual or lifetime caps on their insurance coverage and of course the millions of people on Medicare for whom the prescription coverage “doughnut hole” has begun to close.
In addition, people who have insurance now can get screenings for several types of cancer and well-women care without having to pay anything out-of-pocket, a benefit most people are not aware of.
Admission to the event is free and open to everyone. The event is cosponsored by Know Your Care NC.
For information, call 828-243-6712 or email leslie@wnchealthadvocates.org.
About WNC Health Advocates: Recently, Life o’ Mike changed its name to more accurately reflect what it does. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering health care support, education and advocacy to people in Western North Carolina. The agency was founded in 2008 to advocate for access to quality health care for all. It currently offers Patient Pals & Family Friends, a peer support program for people with illness and disability; Start from Seed, a volunteer doula program for first-time mothers who are uninsured or on Medicaid; and True Stories, an educational program.
“Our old name reflected our inspiration, my son, who died because of our broken health care system,” said Leslie Boyd, founder and president of the agency. “We needed people to know what we’re doing now, and our new name says that. We’re keeping the plaid, though.”
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