December 14, 2005
United States House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Representative,
The undersigned organizations are writing to voice our concern about provisions being debated in the Reconciliation bill. On behalf of the 53 million Americans who rely on Medicaid for their health and long-term care supports and services, we urge the Conferees to reject all provisions that harm Medicaid beneficiaries. In particular, we strongly oppose the provisions of the House Reconciliation bill that would result in higher cost-sharing and fewer benefits for low-income Medicaid beneficiaries.
The Senate Reconciliation package does a significantly better job of protecting Medicaid beneficiaries by finding savings through efficiencies in Medicare and in the way that Medicaid pays for prescription drugs. The House package imposes unaffordable cost-sharing on, and allows benefit reductions for, America’s most vulnerable seniors, children, people with disabilities, and working families. What is more, the bill fails to find any savings from Medicare or from the drug companies.
Congress now has the opportunity to take a stand for America’s most vulnerable populations and reject all of the House provisions that harm low-income beneficiaries. The needs of millions of low-income children, seniors, people with disabilities and working families hang in the balance. We are depending on you to help shape a Reconciliation package that keeps health care accessible, affordable and comprehensive for Medicaid beneficiaries.
Sincerely,
AFL-CIO
AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth & Families
Alliance for Children and Families
Alliance for Retired Americans
Alliance of Louisiana Developmental Centers Families & Friends
Alzheimer’s Association
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
American Association of People with Disabilities
American Association on Mental Retardation
American College of Nurse Practitioners
American Congress of Community Supports and Employment Services
American Dental Hygienists' Association
American Diabetes Association
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
American Federation of Teachers
American Medical Student Association
American Network of Community Options and Resources
American Nurses Association
American Public Health Association
American Therapeutic Recreation Association
Americans for Democratic Action
Asian American Justice Center
Association for the Mentally Retarded at Agnews
Association of Academic Physiatrists
Association of University Centers on Disabilities
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
Beatrice State Development Center Family and Friends Association
B'nai B'rith International
Brain Injury Association
Center for Adolescent Health & the Law
Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly
Center for Public Policy Priorities
Center on Disability and Health
Child Welfare League of America
Children’s Cause for Cancer Advocacy
Children's Defense Fund
Clearbrook Parents and Guardians Association
Coalition on Human Needs
Community Catalyst
Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project/CHAMP
Concerned Citizens For The Mentally Retarded
Consumers Union
Council for Exceptional Children
Council of Women's and Infants' Specialty Hospitals
Dever Association for the Retarded, Inc.
Disability Service Providers of America
District of Columbia Primary Care Association
Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children
Dixon Association For Retarded Citizens
Easter Seals
Epilepsy Foundation
Families USA
Gay Men’s Health Crisis
General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church
Generations United
Gray Panthers California
Guttmacher Institute
Health and Disability Advocates in Chicago
HIV Medicine Association
Housing Works, Inc.
Hudson Health Plan
Human Rights Campaign
Hyacinth AIDS Foundation
IDEA Infant Toddler Coordinators Association
Institute for Reproductive Health Access
Jewish Association for Services for the Aged
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
Learning Disabilities Association of America
Legal Action Center
March of Dimes
Massachusetts Coalition of Families and Advocates for the Retarded
Medicare Rights Center
Mental Retardation Association of Utah
Mount St. Joseph Association
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
National Alliance to End Homelessness
National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors
National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
National Association for Children’s Behavioral Health
National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors
National Association of Health Advocacy Programs
National Association of Mental Health Planning and Advisory Councils
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Association of People with AIDS
National Association of School Psychologists
National Association of Social Workers
National Association of State Head Injury Administrators
National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
National Council on Aging
National Council on Independent Living
National Disability Rights Network
National Down Syndrome Congress
National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association
National Health Council
National Health Law Program
National Immigration Law Center
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
National Mental Health Association
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
National Nursing Centers Consortium
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Respite Coalition
National Senior Citizens Law Center
National Women’s Health Network
National Women’s Law Center
NETWORK, a National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
Oregon Center for Public Policy
Parent Hospital Association, Sonoma Developmental Center
Parents & Friends of Hammond Developmental Center Association
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Washington Office
ProCare3
Project Inform
Protestants for the Common Good
Providence Health System
RESULTS
San Francisco AIDS Foundation
School Social Work Association of America
Service Employees International Union
Society for Adolescent Medicine
St. Mary's Residential Training School
State Associations of Addiction Services
The Arc of the United States
Tourette Syndrome Association
Treatment Access Expansion Project
UHCAN Ohio
United Cerebral Palsy
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union
USAction
U.S. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association
Voices for America’s Children
Voice of the Retarded
Welfare Law Center
The Well Project
