House GOP proposes all-out assault on Medicaid
Threats to Medicaid are mounting, with the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce unveiling a new, harmful plan this past weekend that would not only have a devastating impact on Michiganders' ability to access health care, but lead to a catastrophic ripple effect on our state's health care systems and economy. Under the plan, up to 512,000 adults in Michigan could lose coverage due to new, punitive work requirements.
This latest news comes at a time when Michiganders have sent a loud-and-clear message that they don't want cuts to Medicaid. In fact, according to new statewide polling results released last week, 83% of Michigan voters across political views and party affiliations want to see Medicaid spending either increased or kept the same. EPIC·MRA, with support from the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan, Michigan Association of Health Plans, Michigan Health & Hospital Association, Michigan Primary Care Association, and Protect MI Care, conducted the new statewide poll to determine where Michiganders stand on the proposed Medicaid cuts. The poll also showed that 82% of Michiganders oppose cutting Medicaid to pay for tax cuts and 80% said Medicaid is important in their communities.
More than 2.6 million Michiganders — including more than 1 million children — rely on Medicaid for their health care coverage. This includes 1 in 5 adults ages 19-64, 2 in 5 children, 3 in 5 nursing home residents, 1 in 6 Medicare beneficiaries and 3 in 8 working-age adults with disabilities.These are our family members, friends, co-workers and neighbors, and they live in every county in our state. Each and every one of them deserves to be able to access the care they need in order to live healthy lives.
Health care providers, advocates urge Michigan congressional delegation to vote no on Medicaid cuts
In addition to providing health care coverage to nearly half of Michigan's kids, Medicaid covered 45% of all babies born in our state last year and allows more than 270,000 older Michiganders to live safely at home or in caregiving facilities. It also serves as a lifeline for Michiganders seeking care at behavioral health and substance use treatment centers in rural and underserved areas, and, statewide, it protects families who otherwise couldn't afford care from serious health consequences and insurmountable financial burdens.
Medicaid is foundational to Michigan's health care delivery systems, providing an essential source of funding for hospitals, nursing homes, Community Mental Health Services Programs, schools and Emergency Medical Services. The program brings over $19 billion in federal funding to Michigan, supporting care, providers and thousands of jobs.
In addition to stripping health care away from hundreds of thousands of Michiganders, the implementation and administration of the House GOP's proposed work requirements would lead to exorbitant administrative costs, with Michigan taxpayers footing a potential $155 million bill in the first year alone. This is funding that would be put to much better use as a means to maintain and, better yet, increase health care coverage for the people who call Michigan home.
The plan also proposes tax 'reforms' that could result in a $3 billion annual loss in funding for our state, including a $2.3 billion decrease in payments to Michigan hospitals and upwards of $325 million in cuts to nursing homes. The closures of hospitals and other health care facilities are a real possibility under this plan, which would be deeply felt in rural and underserved areas where health care accessibility is already a major issue.
Let's be clear: this new plan is an all-out assault on Medicaid that would push families off coverage, overwhelm hospitals with uncompensated care and deepen workforce shortages in essential health care services.
We here at the Michigan League for Public Policy continue to stand strong in our fight to protect Medicaid, and we do not stand alone. We stand together with the majority of Michiganders and the more than 150 organizations that make up the Protect MI Care coalition. The stakes right now could not be higher, which is why the League is proud to have helped launch the Protect MI Care coalition in order to build a united front against any cuts or caps to Medicaid. The health and well-being of Michiganders and our state economy depend on it.
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