As organizations committed to strong, whole-person primary care, we urge Congress to oppose the passage of HR 1’s Medicaid and CHIP proposals and any similar proposal that would destabilize primary care and the Medicaid funding which sustains many practices.
On April 25, each of our organizations joined together with 94 primary care stakeholder organizations, urging Congress to take a different path.
Since then, HR 1’s proposed Medicaid funding roll backs have only escalated. The bill now before Congress reportedly contains $930 billion in reduction of federal support for state Medicaid programs and would yield 11.8 million fewer Americans’ with such health coverage, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Other provisions in the Senate bill would reduce coverage further for Americans.
This is not the reform we need. This legislation defunds state Medicaid programs and will destabilize the primary care practices and local community health centers on which the health of American communities relies. If enacted, patients will see reduced access at a time when an increasing number of Americans already lack access to the primary care they need. The bill’s impacts will be felt acutely by
- Rural Communities: 14 million Americans live in rural communities that rely on Medicaid for economic vitality and population health.
- People with Behavioral Health Conditions: Medicaid remains the nation’s largest payer for behavioral health services– serving 13.9 million beneficiaries with substance use and mental health disorders.
- Medicare: 12 million Medicare enrollees rely on Medicaid for long-term care, behavioral health or cost-sharing assistance.
- Women and Families: Medicaid covers 41% of births in the country and millions of lower-income adults.
- Children: Medicaid and CHIP provide comprehensive coverage and primary care for 37.3 million enrolled children.
By undermining the finances of primary care clinicians, the current bill’s roll back of support for Medicaid will undercut the Administration’s and Congressional leaders’ stated goal of improving prevention and addressing chronic illness. Regrettably, last-minute changes to the bill have not addressed the core problems with the original House legislation’s health provisions, nor mitigated the impacts they will have on primary care and Americans’ health.
Congress must reject these proposals and instead pursue bipartisan solutions that strengthen Medicaid and CHIP.
Primary Care Collaborative
Advocates for Community Health
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Psychological Association Services
American College of Physicians
Community Catalyst
Families USA
National Partnership for Women & Families