Latinos in the South Continues Medicaid Access Work with Support from Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust

February 11,2026

For Immediate Release

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Contact:

Maggie Blunk, mblunk@latinoaids.org

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Ensuring Access to Healthcare Coverage in North Carolina

Durham, North Carolina – Latinos in the South, a program of the Latino Commission on AIDS is pleased to announce that it will continue to move forward with its work monitoring and mitigating the loss of Medicaid coverage for LGBTQ individuals, people living with HIV and immigrants in the state thanks to grant funding from the Kate. B Reynolds Charitable Trust, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Over the next year, the Latinos in the South team will work with community partners and impacted communities to identify barriers to care, and support individuals navigating potential changes in coverage and eligibility. The team will do this by hosting community town halls across the state, producing resources for providers and patients, and engaging in advocacy efforts with partner organizations.

"Since North Carolina expanded Medicaid in 2023, more than 700,000 people have gained coverage, but real access to care goes beyond enrollment,” shared Judith Montenegro, Program Director for Latinos in theSouth. “We’re deeply grateful to the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust for investing in this work, so together we can ensure people living with and impacted by HIV, LGBTQ+ and Latine North Carolinians receive quality, affordable care- in policy and in practice."

Through Medicaid expansion, North Carolina has increased access to healthcare, yet demographic data remains limited for LGBTQ and immigrant populations. Based on national estimates and the North Carolina Federal Poverty Level, we estimate that approximately 22% of LGBTQ individuals are eligible forMedicaid.

To understand these coverage gaps and systemic challenges, the Latinos in the South team will collect feedback from individuals and providers who have experienced barriers to care, document the appeals process for denied claims, and monitor how these issues affect continuity of care.

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The Latino Commission on AIDS was founded in 1990and is the only Latinx organization with a regional focus in the Southeast, through the Latinos in the South program, based in Durham, NC. The mission of the Latino Commission on AIDS is to impact the HIV/AIDS epidemic by spearheading health advocacy, promoting health education, developing and replicating evidence-based programs for PLWHA and high-risk communities, and by building capacity across the public health sector and within our communities. Latinos in the South works regionally across the southeast (AL,MS, NC, SC, TN, GA, TX, FL, LA) and primarily serves Latinx, immigrant, and LGBTQ communities living with and impacted by HIV.

The Kate B. Reynolds Trust was established in 1947 and is now one of the largest private trusts in North Carolina. Our mission is to improve the health and quality of life for residents of Forsyth County and around North Carolina. The Health Improvement in North Carolina program area support the equitable health outcomes across the state. The Local Impact in Forsyth County program area works to foster an inclusive economy and improve the quality of life in Forsyth County. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. serves as sole trustee.

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