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The Affordable Care Act (ACA), the largest health care 5%walk, and 3% utilize other means21. Orange County
<br /> legislation since the enactment of Medicaid and Medi- Commuter Options (OCCO) is an available program that
<br /> care, helped to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in helps one get to work without having to drive alone.
<br /> access and extended care to millions of Americans14.
<br /> Data from the Kaiser Family Foundation also points to Orange County's three transit providers operate in and
<br /> improvements in health care access, coverage, and utili- through the county to connect people to both rural and
<br /> zation by race and ethnicity as compared to the ACA15 urban destinations. Orange County Public Transpor-
<br /> tation (OCPT) connects Hillsborough to other regional
<br /> Out of more than 10 million NC residents, approximately towns, and provides service for the rural areas of the
<br /> 30%are either uninsured, on Medicaid, or are dually eli- county and into Chapel Hill, as well as regional con-
<br /> gible for Medicare and Medicaid". Between 2010-2016, nections to Durham and Mebane. Chapel Hill Transit
<br /> the number of uninsured in INC and Orange County de- provides mobility needs to the residents of Chapel Hill
<br /> clined with the passage of the ACA; however, in 2017 the and Carrboro, UNC students, employees and visitors.
<br /> uninsured rate began to rise". Approximately 100,000 Go Triangle connects Orange County to neighboring
<br /> Medicaid eligible and non-elderly uninsured individu- Durham and Wake Counties, including express service
<br /> als live within a four-county radius of Orange County18. to Duke University, INC State University and frequent
<br /> While a single disease does not dominate within these service to RTP.
<br /> subgroups, the work through Carolina Health Net (the
<br /> local system of care for the uninsured) and Community Among survey responders:
<br /> Care of North Carolina (the local system of care for Med- . 17% reported that bus routes do not go where they
<br /> icaid) indicates that approximately 82%of patients often need them to go.
<br /> have multiple health and psychosocial needs".
<br /> • 15% reported that public transportation doesn't op-
<br /> While the ACA called for Medicaid expansion in every erate in the hours/times they need them.
<br /> state, which would cover all legally-present residents
<br /> with income up to 133%of poverty, INC rejected Medicaid • 15% reported that public transportation takes too
<br /> expansion. Due to the non-expansion, INC is missing out long.
<br /> on billions of federal dollars, and is causing NC hospitals
<br /> to provide approximately$1 billion in uncompensat- Among focus group responders:
<br /> ed care each year- an amount that would drastically . Karen and Burmese speaking participants shared the
<br /> decline if Medicaid were expanded. Expanding Medic- lack of language services and interpreters that are
<br /> aid could have created 40,000 jobs, which could have available, in their language, when it comes to public
<br /> assisted with rural hospitals being able to remain open20. transportation.
<br /> Access to Transportation In 2020, there are a number of new transportation
<br /> projects aimed at providing increased service to in-
<br /> dividuals in Orange County. A few of those projects
<br /> ,meU,e,yo.rideor tpuhhotrampar�anis include: 1) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) com-
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<br /> &ton Board Bay onbpn1252019ID show your support /* b pliant improvements at bus stops for Chapel Hill Transit,
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<br /> 2) construction of the Hillsborough train station, 3) a
<br /> park-and-ride lot in north Hillsborough, and 4) bus stop
<br /> improvements throughout Orange County, as well as in
<br /> 'R Mebane. OCPT will add a new service on two routes;
<br /> A Hillsborough-Mebane on the Alamance Health Connec-
<br /> p.Irpa.A.«a tor, and a new Cedar Grove-Durham Express. The Hill-
<br /> sborough Circulator will be expanded and counter-cir-
<br /> w *� cular service will be provided and OCPT will increase
<br /> service for mobility on-demand.
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<br /> Get p1199�9rnn„sos,�•`O$� eeparui � rQ aaaxswn`O Transportation infrastructure in Orange County has
<br /> Board �� improved over the years. The 2030 Comprehensive
<br /> In 2017, there were 70,923 Orange County residents, 16 Plan outlines future efforts of the Transit Department.
<br /> years and over, commuting to Orange County for work, Those efforts even include alternative transportation
<br /> compared to 66,130 in 2014. 68% of the population efforts such as interconnected pedestrian and bicycle
<br /> drive alone, 8% utilize public transportation, 9% carpool, trail, transit lanes along major thorough fares, and the
<br /> 2019 COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT 9
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