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Senator Doug Jones, Rep. Colin Allred, Andy Slavitt, Protect Our Care Discuss the Overwhelming Benefits of Medicaid Expansion During the Coronavirus Crisis

By April 14, 2020No Comments

Call Highlighted Critical Role Medicaid Expansion Plays in Getting More Americans Access to Care During This Crisis

Call Audio Available Here

Washington, DC — Today, Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) along with Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX-32), former CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt and Protect Our Care held a press call to discuss the overwhelming benefits of Medicaid and why Medicaid expansion is needed now more than ever as America grapples with the coronavirus crisis. April is Medicaid Awareness Month, and there has never been a more important time to highlight the role Medicaid plays in covering more than 900,000 Alabamians, 4 million Texans and 70 million Americans, and how Medicaid expansion is pivotal to covering more Americans, especially as this crisis puts our health and safety at risk. 

“The health crisis caused by the spread of COVID-19 has revealed how urgent it is for states like Alabama to expand Medicaid,” said Senator Jones. “We should be making it easier for folks to access the health care they need, especially in these unprecedented times. I’m grateful to Protect Our Care for continuing to bring attention to the importance of Medicaid expansion and increasing access to health care coverage.”

“This crisis has made it clearer than ever that Medicaid expansion is long overdue,” said Congressman Colin Allred (TX-32). “Our health care system has sadly failed too many Texans and our state suffers with the highest uninsured rate in the country. In the long term, expansion will help create jobs and help as we rebuild our economy. This is not a partisan issue, and I will keep fighting to increase access and lower costs across the board.” 

“It’s time for us to forget the battles of the last decade and focus on keeping people healthy in this critical moment and in the future,” said former CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt. “Senator Jones and Congressman Allred have the right idea on Medicaid because they are focused on putting people ahead of politics.”

“Medicaid is a lifeline for millions of Americans, and its importance has never been more clear as America grapples with the coronavirus crisis that threatens everyone’s health and safety,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “Medicaid is a critical component of America’s ability to keep Americans healthy, and we are grateful for leaders in Congress like Senator Jones and Congressman Allred who are fighting every day to expand Medicaid so that people get access to the care they need during this crisis.”

BACKGROUND: 

If each of the 14 states that have not yet expanded Medicaid were to fully do so, they would see significant coverage gains

  • 377,000 Alabamians would gain coverage.
  • 1,596,000 Floridians would gain coverage.
  • 885,000 Georgians would gain coverage.
  • 165,000 Kansans would gain coverage.
  • 266,000 Mississippians would gain coverage.
  • 438,000 Missourians would gain coverage.
  • 692,000 North Carolinians would gain coverage.
  • 299,000 Oklahomans would gain coverage.
  • 379,000 South Carolinians would gain coverage.
  • 50,000 South Dakotans would gain coverage.
  • 390,000 Tennesseans would gain coverage.
  • 2,070,000 Texans would gain coverage.
  • 158,000 Wisconsinites would gain coverage.
  • 32,000 Wyomingites would gain coverage.

For more information on the importance of Medicaid expansion, see Protect Our Care’s latest report: Medicaid Expansion, A Critical Part Of America’s Response to the Coronavirus, Is Under Threat From President Trump.