Deborah Ross is 61 and lives in Raleigh. She went to law school at UNC Chapel Hill and has worked as a civil rights lawyer and in private practice. She served in the N.C. House of Representatives for over ten years. Ross has represented NC’s 2nd Congressional District since 2020.
Our Q&A with Deborah Ross
Note: The candidate answered these questions over email to NC Health News.
What would be your plan for ensuring the future security/ strength of Medicare?
I am committed to protecting and strengthening Medicare for our seniors and for future generations of Americans.
I was proud to support the Inflation Reduction Act, which will take significant steps to lower the high cost of prescription drugs for older Americans, including by capping out-of-pocket costs for life-saving medications under Part D. I also support expanding coverage under Medicare to include essential services like vision, hearing, and dental care.
Most seniors have paid into Medicare all of their working lives, and I will strenuously oppose any effort to weaken or undermine this foundational program.
What would you support in Congress as a plan to help control health care/ pharmaceutical costs?
I strongly support North Carolina’s groundbreaking new plan to incentivize hospitals to forgive medical debt.
We desperately need to reign-in Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). These pharmaceutical middlemen are engaging in predatory practices, forcing seniors to pay more for their prescription drugs while PBMs pocket the profits.
I’ve worked on a series of bipartisan bills to reform PBMs and protect patients. I also support the Federal Trade Commission’s ongoing investigation of these companies for antitrust abuses.
Where do you stand on time limits for Medicaid and work requirements for the program?
Time limits and work requirements are counter-productive and harm working people and their children. Independent, nonpartisan studies have consistently shown that these arbitrary restrictions lead to the loss of coverage without increasing employment.
We know that when Americans can afford to get preventative care regularly, they are less likely to show up at emergency rooms or delay care until their conditions are more serious and costly.
The bottom line is we should be making it easier – not harder – for all North Carolinians, including children, to access the care they need.
What can the federal government do to support rural hospitals?
While Medicaid expansion in our state will make a real difference for rural hospitals by significantly reducing uncompensated care, there is far more that Congress should be doing to ensure that these facilities can keep their doors open and continue to serve patients.
I have cosponsored a series of bills to incentivize doctors to work in rural areas. For example, the SPARC Act, would provide significant student loan repayment assistance to specialty doctors who choose to work at these hospitals. In addition, I support expanding access to visas for foreign medical professionals who can fill key vacancies in rural America.
Where do you stand on restoring funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program?
I strongly support the Affordable Connectivity Program. In our state, approximately 1 in 5 households have saved money on their internet bills thanks to ACP. Unfortunately, Republicans in Congress refused to reauthorize funds for the program and it ceased to function in May 2024. I am committed to reviving ACP so that every North Carolinian, especially our students, can afford basic internet access.
PFAS contamination is a country-wide issue; How do you balance public safety and business interests with this issue?
I have worked across party lines to protect North Carolinians from PFAS exposure, including by supporting a new EPA reporting rule that will give policymakers a better understanding of the extent and effects of PFAS contamination.
I continue to work with EPA, NC DEQ, public water utilities, and industry to implement a science-based approach to this challenge. Among other steps, I believe the federal government should play a role in supporting the development of PFAS-free alternatives that could be used in manufacturing, firefighting, and other industries.
Is the federal government ready for the next pandemic?
I serve on the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. There is so much more the federal government should be doing to prepare for the next pandemic. Unfortunately, Republicans on the panel have wasted the past two years playing partisan politics instead of pursuing real solutions. I will continue working to advance policies – including investing in our public health workforce and stockpiling PPE and other resources – to better prepare our country for the next public health crisis.
In 2009, Congress required more transparency from hospitals on their charitable work: Do you think the federal government should enforce stricter requirements for nonprofit hospitals to justify their tax exemptions? Why or why not?
More transparency measures may be worth considering, but we must find ways to deal with medical debt and further support charity care. In North Carolina, we have an innovative new program that creates incentives for hospitals to forgive medical debt. Our hospitals have just begun to implement it. I am particularly worried about the growing number of rural hospitals in our state that have been forced to close in recent years. Hopefully, our new program can help.
Where do you stand on federal abortion limits? What gestational limits, if any, would you set?
I strongly oppose limits on a woman’s ability to access abortion care or any other form of reproductive health care. These decisions should always be left to women and their doctors.
How can Congress improve access to child care? What states are leading the way that you think could be a good federal model? Support for the EITC/ child care tax credit?
The improved Child Tax Credit that was instituted during the pandemic lifted 2.9 million children out of poverty. It is one of our most powerful tools for giving poor kids in America a better shot in life. I strongly support expanding the CTC and making it permanent.
We also need to invest in affordable child care for working families. I continue to strongly support legislation to strengthen our child care workforce and subsidize the high cost of child care for parents in North Carolina who are struggling to make ends meet.
What steps would you take to improve access to mental health services and to address the opioid overdose crisis?
To meet this challenge, I support measures at the federal level to strengthen mental health care parity, ensuring that it is covered like physical care. I also believe we should make it easier for patients to take advantage of telehealth options to get the mental health care they need. In addition, I’m committed to helping our state and local partners obtain additional federal resources to tackle this problem. For example, I secured $6 million in federal funding to help WakeMed build a new mental health hospital which will accept all clinically appropriate patients regardless of their ability to pay.
Any other issues you’d like to weigh in on?
Draconian state laws limiting access to abortion are an affront to our rights and a threat to our health. The women of America deserve better and I am committed to fighting for a federal law that will guarantee the right to abortion nationwide.