The Primary Care Collaborative has issued the following statement in response to ongoing discussions in the Senate on a proposed reconciliation bill:
Both the Administration and leaders in the House and Senate have committed to addressing chronic conditions, improving prevention and promoting innovative, holistic approaches to care.
But report after report have now made clear that major funding reductions in Medicaid included in budget reconciliation legislation would reduce access to primary care for millions – including the nonpartisan CBO’s latest analysis of the House’s Medicaid provisions. According to that analysis, “states would modify their Medicaid or state-funded insurance programs to curtail their spending by reducing provider payment rates, reducing the scope or amount of optional services, and reducing Medicaid enrollment.” (emphasis added)
The Medicaid reductions included in both the House and still-evolving Senate bill, combined with projected reductions in ACA coverage, imperil primary care practices and community health centers that provide preventive services and set back efforts to address chronic illnesses.
Rather than passing counterproductive and harmful legislation that would undermine the Administration’s and Congress’s efforts to combat chronic illness, we urge lawmakers in both houses to turn instead to a bipartisan approach capable of advancing pragmatic, evidence-based solutions that strengthen Americans’ health.