Access Living friends and allies,
This week, U.S. Senate topped the U.S. House by unveiling the largest proposed cuts to Medicaid, ever. The Senate’s proposed version of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” would set up over $1 trillion in cuts to both Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. This budget reconciliation bill would also trigger more than $500 billion in cuts to Medicare. 16 million people would lose health coverage in the next ten years…not just adults, but millions of children and seniors as well.
Time is now running out to take action. The Senate could vote on their version of the budget reconciliation bill as early as next week. It is critical that every U.S. Senator hears from people in their state that these healthcare cuts will cost lives. Here is a quick link to send an email to your U.S. Senators.
What are some of the Medicaid changes proposed in the Senate bill?
- Cuts hospitals deeper by eliminating a certain kind of provider tax in Medicaid expansion states (like Illinois). The Senate version lowers this tax threshold from 6% to 3.5% for all provider types except nursing homes and intermediate care facilities. Rural community health providers will be hit hardest. The hospital lobby is fighting this proposal.
- Extends work reporting requirements to parents with children older than 14. Many parents of disabled children 15 and older would likely not be able to both work and care for their child, forcing many to consider institutionalizing the child.
- Expands a new requirement for Medicaid co-pays for certain services to co-paying for non-emergency services provided at an emergency room. The House bill already demands that Medicaid co-pays of $35 will be collected for a wide range of other health services.
Here is a great tool from Kaiser Family Foundation that you can use to compare what the House passed, versus what the Senate is proposing.
To save Medicaid, we have to act together. Regardless of the type of healthcare you have, the proposed Senate reconciliation bill will devastate the healthcare system and tank state economies. We need Congress to understand that when you take away the healthcare safety net, jobs will be lost and people will die. Please help by asking all your friends and family members to contact their U.S. Senators at this link. The time to act is now!