Proposed Medicaid cuts threaten coverage for millions

Medicaid was established in 1965 to help states provide medical assistance to low-income individuals. Often confused with Medicare, the federal health insurance program for seniors, Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that provides health coverage to more than 77 million Americans, including children (through the Children’s Health Insurance Program), pregnant women, people with disabilities, and seniors. It is the single largest source of health coverage in the United States.

House Republicans are planning cuts to Medicaid, debating whether those cuts should be significant or more severe. In either case, millions of Americans could lose access to health care. In addition, many older adults could be forced out of nursing homes, as nearly one-third of Medicaid spending covers those who have exhausted their financial resources.

People without health insurance typically experience worse outcomes, incur higher costs, and are more likely to die. In fact, access to health insurance is a leading predictor of whether an individual will survive a cancer diagnosis.

The United States is the only major industrialized nation that does not provide health care as a right of citizenship. Currently, 26 million Americans lack health insurance. Cutting Medicaid would exacerbate this problem, adding millions more to the uninsured population.

Such cuts will not save money but instead do the opposite. People without health insurance often delay care, become sicker and end up in the emergency room — the most expensive source of treatment. They cannot pay these bills, forcing hospitals to raise prices for those who can, which in turn drives up health insurance premiums.

One reason House Republicans want to cut Medicaid is to pay for an extension of the tax cuts enacted in 2019. Whether the tax cuts should be extended is a legitimate policy debate. However, cutting Medicaid—and potentially denying health care to low-income Americans, those with disabilities and older adults—in order to preserve a tax cut that primarily benefits the top 1% of earners goes beyond a policy discussion and should be evaluated from a moral and ethical perspective.

It is not too late to stop these cuts. Contact your representative and let them know you do not support reducing Medicaid. Remind them that you will remember their stance on this issue when the next election comes around. Most representatives have websites where you can reach them directly. To find your representative, visit House.gov.