Much of the public discourse around the budget bills Congress is developing concerns the potential impact on access to and funding for Medicaid, the federally funded health insurance program. Medicaid is a lifeline for millions of Floridians: women and children, families, seniors, and people with disabilities. Medicaid is also important for Florida’s healthcare and economic vitality.
The Congressional Budget Office forecasts the House bill would cut Medicaid funding by at least $600 billion—with more than ten million people losing eligibility—while ballooning the federal deficit by $3 trillion. Reports are that the Senate’s version calls for even deeper cuts. KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research organization, estimates 990,000 Floridians would lose coverage.
January data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shows that more than 71 million people were enrolled in Medicaid nationwide, with more than 3.5 million enrollees in Florida. People age 65+ and people with disabilities represent 70% of the state’s Medicaid enrollees.
Total Medicaid funding in Florida is $34.6 billion, two-thirds of which comes from the federal government. Florida’s aging population presents an increasing need for hospitals, long-term care facilities, and community health centers—all of which depend on Medicaid reimbursements—to provide services and pay staff. For example, the Florida Healthcare Association reports Medicaid covers 60% of long-term care costs.
Statewide, hospitals often are the largest employers in a region, and dramatic cuts in funding will have negative impacts on their services, operating budgets, and payrolls. In our region, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMH) is the largest employer, with $900 million in payroll to a local workforce of more than 10,000. Hospitalized patients who rely on Medicaid for their primary insurance make up 45% of maternity/labor and delivery patients, 30% of mental health/psychiatric patients, and more than 50% of neonatal intensive care unit patients.
In addition to reducing payments to providers, cuts to Medicaid funding could force states to raise taxes, cut other state programs, and/or reduce benefits and eligibility for currently qualifying Americans. With more uninsured Floridians, emergency room use for primary care will increase, leading to higher costs for everyone.
National leaders at the highest levels have defended the cuts as necessary to trim “waste, fraud, and abuse.” To accomplish this goal, they cite the need to impose work requirements and bar undocumented immigrants from enrolling.
A review of the facts belies this rationale. The majority (62%) of Florida’s Medicaid recipients already work. For individuals with disabilities, Medicaid benefits contribute to many recipients’ ability to work. Federal and Florida law already prohibit undocumented immigrants from enrolling in Medicaid. Rather than eliminating fraud, the cuts will cause hospitals, nursing homes, long-term, and other facilities more unmanageable debt that they may not be able to absorb.
Recent polling shows Medicaid and other social safety net programs have broad bipartisan support. With many Americans rightly worried about the effects of the proposed cuts on their communities, the question for voters is whether cutting Medicaid—while adding more than $3 trillion to the deficit through extending Trump tax cuts and increasing spending on immigration and defense—is in the country’s best interests.
Such a fundamental question demands we follow facts, not fiction, to understand what is at stake and empower us as voters. In contrast, in the rush to pass this legislation, many in Congress have admitted not even reading the bill’s content.
In its letter to Congress urging opposition to the House bill, The League of Women Voters highlighted the essential care Medicaid provides: “… with millions at risk of losing health care access, the health and well-being of our nation hangs in the balance.”
The LWV of Sarasota County urges voters to research the facts and consider Congress’s own analyses about the costs and benefits of the proposed bills. Contact Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, and ask whether cutting off millions of Florida’s children, pregnant women, seniors, and people with disabilities from critical healthcare, thus destabilizing providers and local economies, is consistent with the principles of our democracy.
Vilia Johnson and Rhonda Peters are co-presidents of the League of Women Voters of Sarasota County.
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N_Alice_Newlon
The Reconciliation Bill that has passed the House is soon to be voted on in the US Senate. ☎️ Call our US Senators NOW!!
Call Senator Rick Scott at 202-224-5274. Call Senator Ashley Moody at 202-224-3041.
more information here. https://conta.cc/4nfp4Sl
Wednesday, June 25 Report this
rayfusco68
Remove the cap on earnings for social security FICA which is currently 12.4% half from individual paychecks and half from the employer. This would increase Social Security revenue by over 1 Trillion dollars. This amount would not be needed so the FICA should be reduced putting more take home pay in workers paychecks and revenue in the employers’ business. The increased earnings would be subject to federal taxing adding revenue to the general fund but there is still a net gain for the employee and business.
Eliminate Medicare advantage plans. Medicare advantage plans are for profit insurance companies that cost Medicare more than traditional Medicare while lowering the quality of care.
Move Medicaid eligible people into Medicare and close that program. This will reduce both a State and Federal government expense. Medicaid is a shared cost program between the State and the Federal government, therefore Medicare for all would save the States significant costs.
Make all Medicare recipients eligible for the federal government's 340-B pharmacy program. This would dramatically reduce the cost of medications for Medicare recipients. This would eliminate for profit part d Medicare plans.
Move part B Medicare into part A, have one plan. This eliminates the cost of for profit part B supplemental plans.
Allow individuals and businesses to purchase Medicare plans directly from the government. The plans would be purchased with a 3% margin that would be used to offset FICA rates.
Require business that important temporary labor to purchase temporary Medicare insurance coverage for each worker while they are employed.
Make every bill passed by congress stand alone, eliminating the practice of tacking on irrelevant bills that would not pass on their own. Good bills should not be held hostage by bad bills.
Wednesday, June 25 Report this