Now is the Time to Save Medicaid
Congress is poised to cut Medicaid.
The reasons abound, but most legislators who support the cuts cite reducing federal spending, unwinding the Affordable Care Act, and even some questionable claims about Medicaid not making people healthier.
The arguments for cutting Medicaid are political and financial.
The rationale for keeping Medicaid intact is personal. Because for all the arguments about states doing their share, it’s real people who are going to feel the impacts. Our neighbors and friends and family will suffer.
For a 73-year-old in the end stages of cancer, Medicaid is supplementing hospice and supporting caregivers to keep him safe and comfortable at home through the end of life. A 89-year-old with multiple chronic conditions and limited resources is in a nursing home paid by Medicaid. Medicaid is the primary funder of long-term care services in the US, as Medicare options are limited, and private coverage is unaffordable for many people.
A young child with a congenital heart disease has a Medicaid-funded nurse’s aide so that the child isn’t growing up in the hospital. Some states, Colorado included, provide Medicaid to families with kids with significant disabilities as a supplement to private insurance to reduce financial burdens and expand options for care.
A 35-year-old with Down syndrome receives job support and residential care from Medicaid so she can live safely and be fully engaged in her community. One in four Medicaid recipients are elders or people with disabilities who account for about 2/3 of Medicaid spending.
A family of four living on a limited income can take their kids to the doctor and get medical treatment and prescriptions thanks to Medicaid. Children account for about 4 in 10 of Medicaid enrollees (43%).
A 52-year-old single mom who is struggling to pay her bills can have Medicaid cover her hospital visit after a severe car accident. Medicaid covered almost 1/5th of hospital visits in 2023. Without Medicaid, hospitals absorb the costs of uninsured visits, passing the increased burden to other patients. Hospitals may close facilities in rural areas as a cost-saving measure.
A 25-year-old first-time mom receives prenatal care from Medicaid, helping ensure she brings a healthy, thriving baby into the world. Four in ten births in the US were covered by Medicaid in 2023. Pregnancy care significantly reduces the mortality rate for infants and mothers.
Without Medicaid, people suffer.
Not just a few people—64.5 million Americans (and 1.2 million Coloradoans) rely on Medicaid. In our rural communities of Southwest Colorado, around 30% of residents are on Medicaid. Our Congressional delegate Jeff Hurd has voted for the cuts.
Cutting Medicaid may look like an easy way to cut costs at the federal level. But the downstream effects are more costly, both on an economic level and the impact to peoples’ lives. Assuming that somehow, someone else is going to pick up what the federal government cuts is irresponsible, cruel, and a risk we shouldn’t be willing to take as a nation.
Now is the time to #SaveMedicaid. Tomorrow will be too late.