Congress continues to move forward with the Budget Reconciliation process and all indications are, whatever the final version of the bill is, Medicaid cuts will be part of the package. The House of Representatives recently passed the first of their proposals which requires the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the committee that oversees Medicaid, to find $880 billion in cuts. Independent evaluations say that the only way the committee can find that amount of money is if they make cuts to Medicaid.
The focus in recent weeks has been on changing the way state’s can receive federal matching funds for Medicaid, meaning states would have less money to spend in administering Medicaid programs which would lead to changes in eligibility, waitlist lengths, and access to respite services. An additional response to advocates who are asking for Medicaid to be protected is that the need is to cut waste, fraud and abuse and ensure only “worthy” people are receiving these government programs. It is important to remember that the process for receiving government assistance from Medicaid is rigorous and already laborious for participants and that there is no credible evidence that large amounts of Medicaid dollars are leaving the country or being mismanaged by states.
Both the House and the Senate must agree on an identical bill for it to go forward, so advocates still have opportunities to impact what makes it into the final budget reconciliation. Advocates can continue to ask for bipartisan efforts to protect Medicaid. The Sibling Leadership Network encourages siblings, families and people with disabilities to learn more about what Medicaid provides in your state and to educate your legislators on what these services mean to your life. Find your legislators here.