More than 160 Groups Tell Congress: Don’t Cut Medicaid!

Letter to Congress Emphasizes Success, Value, Efficiency of Program

Cuts Would Put Women, Seniors, Children, Communities of Color, People with Disabilities at Special Risk

A letter was sent to members of Congress today from 164 national organizations asking that Medicaid be excluded from the discussion of budget cuts. The signers also argued against proposals to restructure Medicaid, such as converting it to a block grant program.

The following is the statement of Ron Pollack, Founding Executive Director of the consumer health organization Families USA, one of the groups endorsing the letter:

“Budget debates are always about priorities, and it would be difficult to find a program more vital than Medicaid in terms of its importance to America’s families. Medicaid is the program that helps middle-class families who need nursing home care and home health care for loved ones. Medicaid is also the program that provides access to health care for low-income women and children.

“We call on Congress to take Medicaid off the table in the current budget discussions. There’s no ‘fat’ in this program to cut. Cuts to Medicaid mean cuts to actual delivery of health care. Cuts to Medicaid mean more financial hardship for struggling families and more financial hardship for burdened state budgets.

“As organizations signing this letter, we speak for many millions of Americans, and we believe Medicaid is of critical importance to the health and well-being of our nation. It should be strengthened, not weakened.”

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Families USA is the national organization for health care consumers. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan and advocates for high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

1201 New York Avenue NW, Suite 1100 · Washington, DC 20005
202-628-3030 · Email: info@familiesusa.org · www.familiesusa.org