Reject Medicaid Cuts

The United States Senate is on the verge of dramatically cutting Medicaid funding to the tune of $600 billion dollars annually. The Per Capita Caps Medicaid model will move the federal government’s share of expenses to a defined amount. This will result in decreased funding to the states. Each state will then need to come up with additional funding, or make cuts to Medicaid benefits. Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) are not mandated benefits under Medicaid, however, nursing home care is. Naturally, states will likely reduce optional benefits such as HCBS.

Additionally, the Community First Choice Program is in threat of being cut. This program incentivizes states to rebalance Medicaid spending towards home care. Combined, these two cuts will be deeply harmful to home care nation wide. Please contact your Senators and let them know how these cuts will affect patients, you, and your business.

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Subject:

Reject Medicaid Cuts

Dear Official,

Home care and hospice consists of nearly 20,000 providers, 14 million people who receive care in the home annually, and 2 million professional caregivers.

For more than 35 years, Congress and the Administration under both Republican and Democrat leadership have worked to ensure that the infirm and persons with disabilities have full opportunities for care outside of an institution. Former Presidents Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, and Obama all took steps to expand access to home care as a cost- effective, high quality health care solution. Throughout, these Administrations had widespread, bipartisan support from Congress. Home care is the bedrock of health care and it brings security and well-being to the nation.

Medicaid is a program for all Americans. Increasingly, it is a program for America’s middle class as the high cost of long term care can deplete the resources of all but a few families. It is not just a “safety net” for the poor; it is a program that protects those who are very ill and infirm of virtually all socioeconomic groups.

The American Health Care Act, passed in the House, and the Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson amendment, proposed in the Senate, demonstrates that access to home care and hospice is not a priority. For example, the bill eliminates an important Medicaid option, the Community First Choice benefit, which encourages states to shift spending to cost effective home care. Numerous states have embraced that new benefit. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) values it as a $19 billion cut to Medicaid, if ended. The current per capita caps formula will be a roadblock to the expansion of access to home care in Medicaid. The CBO also recently found that this formula will cut Federal Medicaid support by 35% by 2035. The elimination of the Community First Choice benefit will also impede access.

In addition, while most states currently offer hospice services to their Medicaid populations, this benefit also remains an optional one. Absent any requirement that states offer a meaningful end-of-life benefit, imposition of caps or other limits on funding for Medicaid services will create tremendous pressure on states, and will place existing coverage of hospice care at serious risk.

I respectfully request that you support that all necessary steps to preserve and advance access to home care in any Medicaid reform.

Regards, Your Name

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