North Carolina
North Carolina ranks 33rd in new national scorecard on women’s health, reproductive care • NC Newsline
A new state-by-state scorecard of women’s health released this week by the Commonwealth Fund raises concerns over the care women receive and the ripple effects of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The “2024 State Scorecard on Women’s Health and Reproductive Care” is based on 32 measures of state health systems and examines how state policy actions are changing the way women can access and use health care.
“Based on the evidence and data, one thing is absolutely clear, women’s health is in a very fragile state,” said Dr. Joseph Betancourt, president of the Commonwealth Fund, during a briefing with reporters on Wednesday. “There are stark disparities in women’s access to quality health care among states across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines. Those inequities are longstanding, no doubt, but recent policy choices and judicial decisions restricting access to reproductive care have and may continue to exacerbate them.”
Rates of maternal deaths were highest in the Mississippi Delta region, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. North Carolina’s rates for maternal deaths while pregnant and for infant mortality were both above the national average.
Eighteen percent of North Carolina women aged 18-64 reported being in fair or poor health based on the data from 2022.
More than 1 in 5 women in our state (21%) reported having 14 of more poor mental health days in the past month.
North Carolina performed best on women who were up to date on colon cancer screenings.
Such screenings are critically important as deaths from breast and cervical cancer are considered preventable and treatable for women who receive timely screening and follow-up health care.
Researchers found that Black women experienced higher breast cancer mortality than white women due to a variety of factors, including poorer quality of care after an abnormal test, or a diagnosis made at a more advanced stage.
The scorecard also found deaths among women of reproductive age are highest in southeastern states. Causes of death included pregnancy related complications and other preventable causes such as substance use, COVID-19, and treatable chronic conditions.
The uninsured rates among women in the U.S. ranged from 2.5% to over 20% with the highest uninsured rates in states that have not expanded their Medicaid programs.
North Carolina expanded its Medicaid coverage on December 1, 2023. Just last week the NC Department of Health and Human Services announced the enrollment of more than 500,000 North Carolinians in the seven months since the program was launched.
“Each of those 500,000 who now have the peace of mind to be able to face some of the greatest challenges that they ever thought they could face and know that they are not alone,” said North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley in marking the milestone.
But while North Carolina has made progress in expanding health care access, 10 states have yet to expand eligibility for Medicaid. That leaves nearly 800,000 women uninsured.
A maternity care desert made worse by Dobbs ruling
The Commonwealth Fund experts said access to care isn’t just about having coverage, it’s also about being able to get to a service provider when care is needed.
“It’s estimated that over five million women (nationwide) already live in a county that’s considered a maternity care desert, meaning there’s no hospital or birth center offering obstetric care and there are no obstetric providers,” explained David Radley, Ph.D., a senior scientist for the Commonwealth Fund.
Twenty percent of women in North Carolina age 18-44 said they did not have a person who was their personal or primary health care provider.
Abortion bans are also having an impact on the care that women receive, said Sara Collins, the Commonwealth Fund’s vice president for health care coverage and tracking health system performance.
“A clear pattern in the study is states that have had abortion restrictions prior to Dobbs rank lower and a lot of our measures, including having adequate numbers of maternal health care providers,” Collins shared. “We’re seeing post-Dobbs the effect that decision is having on states delivery systems. We’re seeing lower residency applications in states with abortion bans from new medical students.”
So, is there going to be a growing divide across the states between those that have left abortion legal and those that have enacted the tightest restrictions?
“I think that time will tell,” Collins said.
North Carolina’s legislature enacted a 12-week abortion ban in 2023 and could move toward a six-week ban in 2025.
What researchers do know now is that states in which a large share of residents are living in rural areas, there tend to be the fewest obstetric providers.
Fewer providers means that patients face barriers in receiving the full continuum of prenatal and postnatal care.
Elections will shape future health access
How women’s health fares in the future could very well depend on the outcome of the 2024 presidential election.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) not only expanded Medicaid and provided subsidies the help lower-income families, but it also banned insurers in the individual market from charging young women higher premiums than young men. The ACA also required insurers to cover maternity care –something that was not guaranteed prior to the law.
After more than 60 failed Republican-led votes to repeal Obamacare, experts believe a scenario could emerge if the GOP takes control of Congress and the White House in 2025 that would involve passage of legislation requiring slimmed down plans and fewer guaranteed benefits. It remains unclear if insurers would be allowed to deny coverage to those with pre-existing conditions.
“While some states undoubtedly are championing women’s continued access to vital health and reproductive services, many others are failing to ensure that women can get and afford the health care they need. The failure is having a disproportionate impact on women of color and women with low incomes,” said Betancourt.
Click here to read the 2024 State Scorecard on Women’s Health and Reproductive Care for North Carolina.
The NC Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Saturday, June 27, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 27 drawing
03-16-28-30-59, Powerball: 11, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from June 27 drawing
Day: 7-6-8, Fireball: 2
Evening: 3-1-0, Fireball: 4
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from June 27 drawing
Day: 8-0-2-2, Fireball: 9
Evening: 8-1-5-3, Fireball: 0
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 5 numbers from June 27 drawing
02-08-10-17-28
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Double Play numbers from June 27 drawing
01-02-15-25-36
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 27 drawing
26-32-38-51-52, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All North Carolina Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.
For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at North Carolina Lottery Offices. By mail, send a prize claim form, your signed lottery ticket, copies of a government-issued photo ID and social security card to: North Carolina Education Lottery, P.O. Box 41606, Raleigh, NC 27629. Prize claims less than $600 do not require copies of photo ID or a social security card.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a prize claim form and deliver the form, along with your signed lottery ticket and government-issued photo ID and social security card to any of these locations:
- Asheville Regional Office & Claim Center: 16-G Regent Park Blvd., Asheville, NC 28806, 877-625-6886 press #1. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Greensboro Regional Office & Claim Center: 20A Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro, NC 27407, 877-625-6886 press #2. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Charlotte Regional Office & Claim Center: 5029-A West W. T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28269-1861, 877-625-6886 press #3. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- NC Lottery Headquarters: Raleigh Claim Center & Regional Office, 2728 Capital Blvd., Suite 144, Raleigh, NC 27604, 877-625-6886 press #4. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
- Greenville Regional Office & Claim Center: 2790 Dickinson Avenue, Suite A, Greenville, NC 27834, 877-625-6886 press #5. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Wilmington Regional Office & Claim Center: 123 North Cardinal Drive Extension, Suite 140, Wilmington, NC 28405, 877-625-6886 press #6. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://nclottery.com/.
When are the North Carolina Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
- Pick 3, 4: 3:00 p.m. and 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Cash 5: 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Carolina Connect editor. You can send feedback using this form.
An AMBER Alert has been issued for a 15-year-old New Bern boy after police say he was abducted at gunpoint from a motel early Saturday morning.
According to the New Bern Police Department, officers responded around 3:15 a.m. to the Palace Motel, located at 1901 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., after receiving a report of a child abduction.
Police said two adults inside the motel room told officers they had been asleep with two boys — 15-year-old Isaiah Kavon Owens and 13-year-old Kenneth Brantley Jr. — when they were awakened by someone banging on the door.
According to investigators, Larry Tompkins opened the door and encountered multiple people, including Kenneth Lee Brantley Sr., the father of Kenneth Brantley Jr.
Police said Brantley pointed a gun at Tompkins before taking both boys from the room and leaving in a black 2012 GMC Yukon Denali XL with South Carolina license plate XFH752.
Authorities said Brantley may be traveling to his residence in Marion, South Carolina. A statewide BOLO (Be On the Lookout) has been issued for the vehicle.
The North Carolina Center for Missing Persons issued an AMBER Alert Friday morning at the request of the New Bern Police Department.
Isaiah is described as a Black male, 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing approximately 100 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a white hooded sweatshirt, black pants and red-and-blue sneakers.
Police said Isaiah is autistic and has a speech delay.
Investigators said arrest warrants have been obtained for Brantley charging him with the abduction and endangerment of Isaiah Owens.
The New Bern Police Department said it is working with local, state, out-of-state and federal law enforcement agencies to locate Isaiah and ensure his safe return.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the New Bern Police Department at 252-633-2020, their local law enforcement agency, or call 911 immediately.
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Authorities advise the public not to approach Brantley.
A man once given the nickname Cardiac Kemba due to his heart-stopping heroics at the University of Connecticut, Kemba Walker is back to breathe life into the 704’s youth basketball community.
The Charlotte Hornets’ legend officially opened the Kemba Walker Sports Academy in Concord, North Carolina this afternoon, a multi-sport facility just north of Charlotte that’s mission is “to provide a safe, fun, and inclusive environment for athletes to learn, grow, excel and compete.”
At a ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the 54,000 square foot facility, Walker took some time to answer questions from assembled media about his latest venture that was created with community in mind.
“It’s really bigger than, you know, basketball,” said the Hornets’ all-time leading scorer this afternoon when talking about the academy. “We want the kids to have some discipline and really teach them how to work hard you know? That’s what we’re chasing. We’re chasing something that’s much bigger than the actual sport.”
It’s a bold vision, and one that Walker has dreamed of fulfilling since he was a kid suiting up for his childhood AAU program, the New York Gauchos.
“(The Gauchos’ facility) is probably not quite like this. It’s not as big as this. But that was my safe space, you know? That was the place I was able to go to, to enjoy the game of basketball and meet some of my closest friends that I still have to this day who actually run this place.”
Walker has been a pillar of the grassroots basketball community in Charlotte since he was a baby-faced, 20-something-year-old suiting up for the Bobcats. And even though he spent some time playing elsewhere in his professional basketball career, the four-time All-Star has considered the Queen City his domain since draft night.
“I never left, first of all” said Walker when asked about returning to the Hornets as an assistant coach and being able to now give back to the community that embraced him with open arms when he was drafted in 2011. “Obviously, I went to a couple of different teams and, you know, my path took me to a couple of different places, but I always kept my house here, and my family was always here, and whenever I had time in the summer, something like that, I was always here.”
“But it is amazing to be back. I love Charlotte.”
And Charlotte loves him back.
Walker stamped his name in the franchise record books with a successful career on the court, but he forever endeared himself into the community by embracing the basketball-crazed city he didn’t have a single tie to until he was drafted there.
The Kemba Walker Sports Academy will host its first grassroots basketball event this weekend, the Kemba Walker Invitational, where AAU teams from across the country (including Walker’s own New York Gauchos) will convene in Concord to christen the facility.
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