The WNC Health Policy Initiative (HPI) Podcast

In this week’s episode: 🔹 A significant drop in ACA Marketplace enrollment in North Carolina — North Carolina saw one of the largest percentage decreases in the country for the 2026 open enrollment period. See the changes in the CMS national snapshot and deeper reporting on state impacts: 📄 Open Enrollment Report:   🗞️ NC Local's reporting 🔹 Rural Health Transformation & ROOTS Hubs — We hig...

No Budget, No Pay: Gridlock, Medicaid Gaps & Measles in WNC North Carolina remains without a finalized state budget more than 200 days past deadline, meaning gaps in Medicaid funding, as well as delayed state programs and health services in Western North Carolina. This week, we hear about: a new amendment called "No Budget, No Pay," that was proposed by NC's Rep. Butler that raises visibility...

For a review of health policy impacting Western NC during the first week of February 2026, this week’s update includes: news of a major $17.85 million multistate settlement over generic drug price-fixing by the Lannett Company, Inc. and Bausch Health US North Carolina’s new Executive Order 33 to strengthen crisis response through co-responder models the rise in measles cases & expanded access...

What if food policy could also reduce healthcare costs, strengthen rural economies, support family farms, and build long-term resilience in Western North Carolina? In this episode we explore how Food Hubs connect multiple regional priorities—from hunger relief and healthcare cost savings to farm viability, disaster recovery, and mental health. Inspired by a recent conversation with epidemiologist...

Welcome to the first episode of the WNC Health Policy Initiative's Weekly Health Policy Update, your go-to source for updates on health policy and initiatives impacting Western North Carolina. This week, we break down the latest emergency orders for January’s winter storms, the early impacts of HR1 on Medicaid recertification, and the end of the Legal Aid ombudsman contract. We also highlight work...

Trying to get help shouldn’t feel like being passed from office to office, retelling your story, or not knowing who to call next—but for many people in North Carolina, that’s exactly what happens. Our systems of care are often fragmented, especially when needs cross aging, disability, health, housing, and family support. One clear example is Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS)—the services that...

Episode 19: Weathering the Storm: Lessons Learned From the Healthcare Response to Helene (Part 3): In this episode, we hear about key findings from the NC Center for Health & Wellness and Health Policy Initiative’s study, “Lessons Learned from Health Care Leaders During Hurricane Helene,” funded by the North Carolina Collaboratory. Hear from the research team about what worked, what didn’t, an...

In Episode 18 of the WNC Health Policy Initiative Podcast, we kick off a new series on food access and health in Western North Carolina in the wake of multiple challenges to local food systems. Joined by epidemiologist Dr. Patrick Baron, the conversation explores how factors like the end of emergency allotments in the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) program, the impact of Hurricane Helene, feder...

In this episode of the podcast, we continue our exploration of the WNC Health Policy Initiative's collaborative study, “Lessons Learned from the Healthcare Response to Hurricane Helene” with researchers Alex Mitchell and Soni Pitts as they examine how healthcare leaders in Western North Carolina responded to the crisis. Produced by the NC Center for Health and Wellness and supported by research fu...

In this episode of the WNC Health Policy Initiative Podcast, we sit down with political scientist Dr. Chris Cooper, Robert Lee Madison Distinguished Professor and Director of the Haire Institute for Public Policy Western Carolina University, to unpack the forces shaping health policy in North Carolina. From the role of lobbying and interest groups to the legislative process behind health-related b...

In this full-length version of the WNC Health Policy Initiative podcast, we sit down with Katie Alexander and Ali Houghton from Pisgah Legal Services' WNC Health and Economic Opportunity Program to explore the impact of the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act on healthcare coverage. We discuss the services provided by Pisgah Legal, how this sweeping legislation could reshape healthcare access acr...

In this radio version of the WNC Health Policy Initiative podcast, we sit down with Katie Alexander and Ali Houghton from Pisgah Legal Services' WNC Health and Economic Opportunity Program to explore the impact of the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act on healthcare coverage. We discuss how this sweeping legislation could reshape healthcare access across Western North Carolina, especially for Me...

Weathering the Storm: Lessons Learned From the Healthcare Response to Helene (Part 1) In this episode, we launch a special, non-consecutive series exploring “Lessons Learned from The Healthcare Response to Hurricane Helene”—a research project part of the Western North Carolina Health Policy Initiative, and one of 21 efforts funded by the NC Collaboratory.  This study seeks to understand how health...

In this episode, UNCA student intern, Emma Hoosier, shares her perspective on the healthcare workforce shortage in Western North Carolina. Through her internship experience, she reflects on conversations with local providers and community members about the challenges facing the region — and the potential solutions emerging from local insights, state initiatives, and national policy discussions. Sh...

In Episode 12 of the WNC Health Policy Initiative Podcast, we hear how housing — especially in the wake of disaster — is deeply connected to health and wellbeing in Western North Carolina. After Hurricane Helene caused widespread destruction, policymakers, advocates, and community leaders are asking: How do we build back in a way that supports resilience, and long‑term health? To answer this, Andr...

In Episode 11 of the WNC Health Policy Initiative Podcast, we continue taking a closer look at the Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) from the perspectives of those most deeply involved on the ground. As state budget debates put the future of the pilot in question, we hear from the WNC network lead, a participating Healthy Social Opportunity (HSO), and families enrolled in the program about what HO...

In Episode 10 of the WNC Health Policy Initiative Podcast, we hear about a recent evaluation of the Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) — a Medicaid initiative designed to improve health by addressing upstream needs like food security, housing, transportation, and safety. As state lawmakers debate funding in the budget and pilot programs face shutdown, we talk with Dr. Seth Berkowitz, a lead evaluat...

In Episode 9 of the WNC Health Policy Initiative Podcast, we learn about the childcare crisis in Western North Carolina — a pressing issue affecting families, workers, and local economies. Joined by experts and advocates from the Western North Carolina Early Childhood Coalition, NC Department of Commerce, and NC Child, this episode explores why childcare is so hard to find and afford, how it affec...

In Episode 8 of the WNC Health Policy Initiative Podcast, we speak with Honey Yang Estrada, President of the North Carolina Community Health Worker Association, about the role of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Western North Carolina. We explore how CHWs — trusted members of their communities — help bridge gaps in healthcare access, support people experiencing barriers to care, and relieve pres...

In Episode 7 of the WNC Health Policy Initiative Podcast, we wrap up our three‑part series on language access in Western North Carolina by focusing on policy strategies and practical resources to improve communication in healthcare. Host Andrew Rainey is joined by language access coordinators, interpreters, and policy experts to explore four key areas — cost implications, workforce development, in...

In Episode 6 of the WNC Health Policy Initiative Podcast, we explore the Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) — an innovative effort in Western North Carolina that uses Medicaid funding to address key social drivers of health like housing, food security, and transportation. Joined by Dionne Greenlee‑Jones, Senior Director of Innovation and Equity Development at Impact Health, this episode breaks down...

In Episode 5 of the WNC Health Policy Initiative Podcast, we continue our deep dive into language access in Western North Carolina. We're joined by Buncombe County’s Language Access Coordinator, the Health Access Programs Manager at the WIN Interpreter Network, and a co‑founder of the Cenzontle Language Justice Cooperative to explore what language access actually looks like in WNC — who’s affected...

In Episode 4 of the podcast, we kick off a multi‑part series on language access in health care — a critical yet often overlooked factor in health equity in Western North Carolina. We speak with regional experts, including Buncombe County’s Language Access Coordinator, the Health Access Programs Manager from the WIN Interpreter Network, and a co‑founder of the Cenzontle Language Justice Cooperative...

In Episode 3 of the WNC Health Policy Initiative Podcast, we sit down with Rita Sneider‑Cotter, Executive Director of OurVOICE, to explore the complex intersection of sexual violence and human trafficking in Western North Carolina. We discuss how social determinants like housing, transportation, and substance use shape risk and vulnerability, what trafficking looks like in rural communities, and s...

In Episode 2 of the WNC Health Policy Initiative Podcast, we talk with Marianne Weant and Alecia Sanders of the North Carolina Alliance for Health about the School Meals for ALL NC campaign — a policy effort to expand access to free, nutritious school meals across North Carolina. They discuss how food insecurity affects children’s health and educational success, why school meals are a critical soc...