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ashoup
In Research, Fact Sheet

FACT SHEET: Medicaid Works For Women & Children

April marks the 5th annual Medicaid Awareness Month. Medicaid is an essential pillar of coverage for women and children. Adult women comprise an estimated 40 percent of those enrolled in Medicaid, and over half (54 percent) of children are enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Women of color who experience higher rates of poverty than white women and remain less likely to have access to quality care. For pregnant women, affordable health coverage is essential more than ever as the United States continues to experience the highest rates of maternal mortality among wealthy nations, deaths that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data show are largely preventable. 

Over 66 percent of Americans, including 55 percent of Republicans, have a favorable opinion of Medicaid. Voters agree that it is important to prevent harmful cuts to Medicaid that would reduce health care access for lower-income individuals and cut nursing home care funding. Even with the overwhelming support for Medicaid, Republicans across the country have made it their mission to slash its budget by billions. One budget plan offered by an influential former member of the Trump administration would cut over $2 trillion from Medicaid, ending Medicaid expansion entirely and kicking over 21 million Americans off of their health care plans. 

By The Numbers

  • Medicaid Covers Over 30 Million Women Nationwide. 31 million adult women rely on Medicaid for coverage – an estimated 40 percent of the adults enrolled in Medicaid. In 2020, Medicaid covered 16 percent of nonelderly women in the United States. 
  • Most Women On Medicaid Are Working Or Have Caretaking Responsibilities. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the vast majority of women enrolled in Medicaid work, including mothers on Medicaid. In 2019, 93 percent of women enrolled in Medicaid were either working, going to school, at home caring for young children or relatives, or experiencing an illness or disability that does not permit them to work. 
  • Medicaid Is A Major Source Of Coverage For Women Of Color. Due to systemic inequality, women of color are disproportionately likely to be covered by Medicaid. Nearly 33 percent of Black Americans, 30 percent of Hispanic or Latino individuals, nearly 15 percent of Asian and Pacific Islanders, and 34 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native individuals are enrolled in Medicaid, compared with 15 percent of white individuals.
  • Medicaid Covers Nearly Half Of Women With Disabilities. Medicaid covers more than 44 percent of nonelderly women with mental and physical disabilities. As of 2019, Medicaid was the source of health coverage for one in four American women with mental illness and 7.2 million American women with a substance use disorder.
  • Over 50 Percent Of American Children Are Enrolled In Medicaid And CHIP. Over 40 million children in the United States are enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP. 
  • More Than 2 Million People Would Gain Coverage If Remaining States Expanded Medicaid. Estimates from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that roughly 2 million people, including children, would enroll in Medicaid and CHIP if the remaining 10 states implemented expansion. These states are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wyoming, and Wisconsin. 
  • The Children’s Uninsured Rate In Medicaid Holdout States Is Double The Rate In Expansion States. In 2021, the child uninsured rate was 7.1 percent in holdout states, compared to 4 percent in states that adopted expansion.
  • Almost Half Of Births Are Covered By Medicaid. Medicaid covers over 40 percent of births in the United States. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, states were given the option to extend coverage to new mothers for one year postpartum, which improves maternal health outcomes. Congress subsequently made this option permanent as part of end-of-year legislation signed into law at the end of 2022. So far, 29 states have elected to extend postpartum coverage.

Medicaid Coverage Benefits Mothers And Women Of All Ages

Medicaid Is The Largest Payer Of Reproductive Health Care Coverage. Medicaid covers nearly 20,000,000 women of reproductive age, giving them access to reproductive health care services such as birth control, cancer screenings, and maternity care without cost-sharing. Medicaid for children also saves the government an estimated $200 billion when compared to the average cost of the program at $92 billion. These services are even more imperative now due to Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision that overturned Roe v. Wade protections. Medicaid’s reproductive health coverage is especially important in states that have more restricted access to birth control and abortion.

  • Expanding Access To Care At Every Stage. There is an urgent need for quality, affordable health coverage prior to, during, and after giving birth. While 48 percent of maternal deaths occur during pregnancy and delivery, more than half, 52 percent, occur in the year following the birth of a child. Recent CDC data show that 4 in 5 of maternal deaths are preventable. 12 percent of maternal deaths are deemed “late,” occurring between six weeks and one year following delivery, demonstrating the immense need for continuous health access and coverage for a minimum of one year following the birth of a child. The Biden-Harris Administration has established a pathway to coverage, providing states the opportunity to extend postpartum coverage under Medicaid from 60 days to 12 months following birth. Currently, 29 states have begun offering continuous Medicaid or CHIP coverage for 12 months after pregnancy.
  • More Than Four In 10 Births Are Covered By Medicaid. More than 4 in 10 births were financed by Medicaid in 2021. Rates varied across the nation, with 61 percent of births financed by Medicaid in Louisiana, and 22 percent in Utah. In the 10 states that have refused Medicaid expansion, eight had more than 40 percent of births covered by Medicaid. Medicaid covers 65 percent of all births to Black mothers and 59 percent of all births to Latina mothers.
  • Expanding Medicaid & Closing The Coverage Gap Is Critical To Improving Maternal Health. Women of color consistently experience higher rates of maternal mortality than white women, largely due to the intersection of health with race, gender, poverty, geography, and other social factors.
  • Medicaid Helps Keep Families Out Of Debt. Out-of-pocket spending on health care pushed over 10.5 million Americans into poverty in 2016. Since the expansion, the program has covered the medical expenses of millions more poor and near-poor adults than it did previously, helping prevent households from becoming poor because of medical spending.

Medicaid Improves Access To Care For Women. Women with Medicaid are far more likely to receive care than uninsured women. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, women with Medicaid coverage are less likely than women with private insurance to report delaying or forgoing care due to cost. Women with Medicaid coverage receive preventive care such as cancer screenings and well women services at roughly the same rates as women with private coverage and at a higher rate than women without insurance. 

Medicaid Helps Pay For Long-Term Care, Mostly For Elderly Women. Medicaid pays for roughly half of the nation’s long-term services and supports. In 2020, women accounted for 61 percent of the 12.3 million dual-eligibles, or people who rely on both Medicare and Medicaid for coverage. Most dual-eligibles are elderly, and many need Medicaid coverage for their long-term care needs.

Medicaid Creates Jobs In The Health Industry, Which Is Overwhelmingly Female. Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that there are 15.5 million frontline health care workers — 77 percent of which are women — establishing Medicaid as a major job creator for women. 

Medicaid Coverage Has Long-Term Benefits For Children

Research Shows Medicaid Prevents Child Deaths. A 2020 study found that children who received health insurance through Medicaid were less likely to die young, be employed in their adult life, and less likely to develop a disability as an adult. 

Medicaid Helps Children Stay Healthy, Leads To Long-Term Benefits For Children When They Grow Up. Medicaid eligibility during childhood lowers the high school dropout rate, raises college enrollment, and increases four-year college attainment. Medicaid for children also has a positive impact on employment opportunities later in life. For each additional year of Medicaid eligibility as a child, adults by age 28 had higher earnings and made $533 additional cumulative tax payments due to their higher incomes.

Thanks To Medicaid, Students Have Access To The Resources They Need To Focus In School. Medicaid’s Early Periodic Screening Diagnostic and Treatment benefit gives children under 21 years old access to comprehensive and preventive health services, such as yearly physicals, hearing, vision, and dental screenings, and physical, mental, and developmental disability treatments. The benefit also helps students gain access to medical supplies, such as hearing aids, glasses, and assistive technology, to help them succeed in school. 

The ACA’s Medicaid Expansion Helps Children Gain Access To Care

After the Affordable Care Act expanded access to Medicaid, the children’s uninsured rate fell to an all-time low. Research confirms expanding access to Medicaid for parents has had ripple effects for their children. At the same time, the 10 states that continue to reject expansion are limiting children’s health care access: 

Medicaid Expansion Led To Gains In Coverage For Children As Well As Parents. Parents enrolled in Medicaid are more likely to access the support they need to be a healthy and effective parent. When parents gain coverage they are more likely to enroll the whole family, so the family will be protected from the economic strains of medical debt and lay the groundwork for optimal child development. Children of parents who are enrolled in Medicaid are more likely themselves to have coverage, due to parents having a more straightforward experience adding their children than if they have never signed up for coverage before.

The Children’s Uninsured Rate In States That Have Rejected Expansion Is Twice The Rate In States That Expanded The Program — And That Gap Is Growing. The rate of uninsured children in states that have not expanded their Medicaid coverage grew at nearly three times the rate than that of states that have expanded Medicaid coverage. Texas and Florida, two non-expansion states, were responsible for 41 percent of coverage losses for children in a three-year period. 

When Parents Have Health Insurance, Children Are More Likely To Have Coverage. When parents are covered, their children are more likely to have access to health care and have long term benefits from that coverage. Adults who had health insurance as a child were more likely to have better health as adults, including fewer hospitalizations and emergency visits. Medicaid eligibility during childhood is also more linked to a higher likelihood of graduating from high school and college, as well as having higher wages in adulthood.

ashoup
In Research, Fact Sheet

FACT SHEET: Republicans’ Threats to Medicaid Are A Clear and Present Danger

April marks the 5th annual Medicaid Awareness Month. With Medicaid currently serving over 92 million Americans, the largest enrollment in history, this program has never been more important to the lives of everyday Americans. Medicaid enrollment has increased by 61 percent nationally since 2013 and the program has been proven time and time again to save lives, increase coverage and – in turn – broaden access to needed care, and help reduce racial, rural, and other health disparities. Republican attacks on Medicaid are especially harmful for communities of color, rural Americans, people with disabilities, and low-income families. 

Even with Medicaid serving more Americans than ever before, Republicans across the country have made it their mission to slash its budget by billions. One budget plan offered by an influential former member of the Trump administration would cut over $2 trillion from Medicaid, ending Medicaid expansion entirely and kicking over 21 million Americans off of their health care plans. Whether it’s at the state level where Republican lawmakers in 10 states continue to refuse to expand Medicaid or in Congress where Speaker Kevin McCarthy recently released a plan that would impose work reporting requirements and other burdensome policies for new moms and families, this war on Medicaid will not stop.

By The Numbers

  • Tens of Millions of Americans are at Risk of Losing Vital Parts of Their Health Care if Cuts to Medicaid Are Pushed Through. Over 92 million Americans are currently enrolled in Medicaid. Cuts to Medicaid would surely see considerable reductions in coverage leaving millions potentially uninsured with no pathway to get health coverage.
  • More Than 50 Percent Of Children Could See Significant Reductions in Their Health Coverage. Nationally, 54 percent of American children are covered by Medicaid/CHIP. Slashing Medicaid funding would see many of these children become ineligible for low-cost health insurance with no pathway to finding affordable health care.
  • Funding For Nearly Two-Thirds of Long-Term Residents in Nursing Homes Would Dry Up. Medicaid covers nursing home bills for over 60 percent of residents in nursing homes. In 2019, this totaled over $50 billion. The median private nursing home room can cost over $100,000 annually. Medicaid caps or cuts would see more seniors without the financial resources to afford long-term care.
  • Marginalized Groups Are Disproportionately Harmed by Republican Attacks. Increasing Medicaid access is the single most important action available to expand coverage and reduce racial inequities in the American health care system. The ACA led to historic reductions in racial disparities in access to health care, but racial gaps in insurance coverage narrowed the most in states that adopted Medicaid expansion. States that expanded their Medicaid programs saw a 51 percent reduction in the gap between uninsured white and Black adults after expansion, and a 45 percent reduction between white and Hispanic adults. Cutting Medicaid and repealing the ACA’s Medicaid Expansion would result in coverage loss, and therefore inflame these disparities.
  • Rural Americans Relying on Medicaid Would be Left Behind by Republicans. Nearly 14 million Medicaid enrollees reside in rural areas. Medicaid helps fund rural hospitals, which employ six percent of all employees in rural counties that report having any hospital employment. Rural hospitals in Medicaid expansion states are 62 percent less likely to close. In 2023, over 600 rural hospitals are at risk of closing in the near future.
  • Nearly 45 Percent Of Adults With Disabilities Could See Reduced Health Coverage or Lose Coverage Entirely. Medicaid covers 45 percent of non-elderly adults with disabilities, including adults with physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, and brain injuries. Republican plans could leave many of these people and their families with little support and sometimes even no health coverage at all.
  • Births Currently Covered by Medicaid Could be at Risk. Medicaid covers over 40 percent of births in the United States and Congress recently offered permanent federal funding to states that opt to expand Medicaid coverage to mothers for one year postpartum. All of these gains would be rolled back under Republican plans and maternal mortality, already a dire crisis in this country especially for Black and Indigenous mothers, would only be worsened.
  • Medicaid’s Assistance for Those With Substance Use Disorders Would Substantially Diminish. Nationally, around 12 percent of Medicaid enrollees over 18 have some kind of substance use disorder (SUD) and Medicaid is crucial to building a system of comprehensive substance use care. These interventions have been vital and life saving, with one study finding that around 10,000 lives were saved from fatal opioid overdoses as a direct result of Medicaid expansion alone. Cutting Medicaid, put simply, would increase overdoses and decrease treatment options for thousands of Americans.
  • Over a Quarter of Americans Living With a Serious Mental Health Condition Could See Their Coverage Cut Back. Medicaid is the single-largest payer for mental health services in America, serving 26 percent of all adults living with a serious mental health condition. Expanding Medicaid services, such as behavioral health benefits, also has led to improved access and better outcomes for low-income individuals. Simply having access to Medicaid has shown in some studies to reduce depression rates by over 3 percent among those with chronic health conditions. Capping or cutting Medicaid spending could see these achievements in mental health care rolled back.

Some Republicans Have Proposed Sunsetting Medicaid Programs. Republicans have a long history of targeting Medicaid for spending cuts and these threats have only grown more serious in recent weeks. Senator Rick Scott has famously proposed a budget that sunsets all federal programs, putting Medicaid in particular on the chopping block. Representative Barry Loudermilk called out Medicaid by name when pronouncing that “everything was on the table” when it came to spending cuts. At the same time, Representative Brett Guthrie called for an explicit cap on Medicaid spending, harkening back to the failed ACA replacement bill which led to Republicans losing the House of Representatives when Americans voted in the midterms. Speaker Kevin McCarthy recently released a plan that would impose work reporting requirements and other burdensome policies for new moms and families.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy Has Proposed Strict Work Requirements to Medicaid While Holding Debt Ceiling Deal as Leverage Over the Country. Kevin McCarthy gave up a significant amount of his power in order to take the title of Speaker. As such, it should be no surprise that his Medicaid proposals mirror that of the radical MAGA Freedom Caucus, proposing the addition of strict work requirements to Medicaid in order for eligible Americans to even have access to the program. Studies of states which have implemented work requirements have repeatedly found these barriers increase disenrollment rates, particularly among those with chronic illnesses (which has itself been increasing steadily since 2020). Other studies have found that even Medicaid beneficiaries who do work often struggle with the complex reporting requirements and risk losing coverage even if they fully comply with the work requirements.

The Proposed Vought Budget Plan Will Slash Medicaid and Rip Away Health Care from Millions of Americans. Former Trump budget director Russell Vought has been quietly tasked by House Republicans to craft a budget that will focus on cutting essential programs for millions of Americans. Although the party line is that Republicans want to reduce spending, choosing Vought is an interesting choice considering his direct role under Donald Trump in ballooning the national debt to a state which will weigh down the American economy for decades. Nevertheless, Vought has proposed a wide swath of austerity measures aimed at punishing the poorest and most vulnerable Americans. Vought’s plan would cut over $2 trillion from Medicaid alone and would also repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would end Medicaid Expansion entirely and kick over 21 million Americans off of their health care plans.

The House Freedom Caucus Budget Proposes Radical Medicaid Cuts. The House Freedom Caucus, to whom Speaker Kevin McCarthy ceded much of his official power as Speaker, has proposed a budget plan which will cut over $3 trillion in non-defense spending taking aim specifically at health care programs like Medicaid. One of the major plans for restructuring the program would be the institution of strict work requirements in order to even access Medicaid. All research on the subject shows that work requirements reduce dramatically the number of people who can access Medicaid. Almost two-thirds, or 62 percent, of those who would lose their Medicaid coverage as a result of work requirements are women, and disproportionately women of color. As well, even though the Freedom Caucus is claiming this is an attempt to cut spending on needless bureaucracy, time and time again Medicaid work requirements end up costing more money to implement and maintain than traditional Medicaid or Medicaid Expansion. Georgia’s new Medicaid work requirements require the state to develop “expensive administrative processes,” estimated to cost upwards of $270 million annually to implement, nearly 3 times more than Medicaid Expansion would cost.

Republicans in 10 States Continue to Fight Against Medicaid Expansion. While Republicans are fighting a war of ideology, the facts are clear, Medicaid expansion saves lives. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Medicaid expansion saved the lives of 19,200 older adults aged 55 to 64 between 2014 and 2017. At the same time, 15,600 older adults died prematurely as a result of their state’s decision not to expand the program. A study published in the Journal of Health Economics found that Medicaid expansion reduced mortality in non-elderly adults by nearly four percent. Cancer deaths have dropped more in states that accepted Medicaid coverage under the ACA than in states that have held out, and expansion has also been tied to fewer heart-related deaths. Often Republicans know that Medicaid Expansion would be the best program for their state, but continue to refuse to expand it or, in some states, will try to implement a milquetoast replacement program.

  • Republicans are Leaving Hundreds of Thousands of Georgians Behind With Their Sham Medicaid Waiver. Governor Brian Kemp’s Medicaid waiver program will likely increase coverage for 50,000 Georgians, costing taxpayers around the same amount of money it would cost to adopt Medicaid expansion and cover over 500,000 Georgians. Included in Kemp’s plan are strict work requirements aimed at punishing those who cannot afford health care which will cost taxpayers three times more simply to maintain than expanding Medicaid. Under the Republican waiver plan, almost 300,000 Georgians would have no pathway to any type of health insurance at all. Brian Kemp and Georgia Republicans are willing to leave these Georgians behind in the name of pure ideology.

Texas and Florida Are Cutting Staff While Millions Are At Risk of Losing Medicaid Coverage. Due to the Public Health Emergency (PHE), nearly 3 million Texans and 1 million Floridians were able to access and maintain Medicaid coverage for around three years. As the federal unwinding process begins , these 4 million people will likely see themselves kicked off of Medicaid, through no fault of their own. In 2022 Texas chose to purposefully cut staffing to their Medicaid program, making it even more difficult to enroll or renew coverage. Until April 1, this was not as large of an issue as Americans were protected from being booted off of Medicaid rolls, but now that Medicaid continuous coverage protections have been decoupled from the PHE eligibility for millions of Americans on Medicaid are being put into question. Even for people who are still eligible for Medicaid, the renewal process may be so difficult and burdensome that they cannot receive the coverage, with studies suggesting anywhere between 45 percent and 83 percent of those estimated to lose coverage will lose it purely for administrative reasons. In Florida, Republican lawmakers have made draconian cuts to hospitals specifically treating poor and marginalized Floridians amidst widespread protests from hospitals and staff throughout the state. These cuts have led to worse outcomes and patient care and the already fragile state of many hospitals in the state becoming dire. Since 2005, Florida has seen the 9th most rural hospital closures of any state in the country. Expanding Medicaid would increase funding to these hospitals, increase coverage of Floridians and Texans, and reduce the impacts of the PHE unwinding but both Republicans in Florida and Texas have no plans to move forward with expanding Medicaid programs.

protectourcare
In News

New TV Ad Blasts Trump for Breaking His Promise on Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid

Ad also Targets Ten Congressional Republicans Calling on Them to Oppose Trump’s War on Health Care

Washington, DC — Protect Our Care will air a new television and digital ad this week calling out President Trump for his many lies about wanting to save Medicare and Medicaid while proposing to gut their funding and sabotaging our health care system at every turn.

The ad, called “Broken Promises,” slams Trump’s blatant hypocrisy on Medicare and Medicaid cuts by highlighting his false promise to “save Medicare and Medicaid… without cuts” if elected, only to turn around once in office and repeatedly try to gut them. The ad, which was featured in the Washington Post this morning, urges people to call their representatives and demand they reject Trump’s budget and its trillions of dollars in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.

Watch the ad here.

“Time and again, Trump claimed he wouldn’t cut Medicare and Medicaid if elected – but of course that was a blatant lie,” said Protect Our Care executive director Brad Woodhouse. “As president, he has repeatedly broken his promise to Americans not to cut Medicare and Medicaid, and his latest budget slashes them by trillions of dollars. It’s clear that Trump will stop at nothing to sabotage our health care system, and will do so while showering insurance and drug companies with billions of dollars in tax breaks as they raise premiums and jack up the costs of prescription drugs.”

The ad will run on cable in DC as well as digitally targeting President Trump’s Senate allies Martha McSally (R-AZ), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Susan Collins (R-ME) who are all considered vulnerable in 2020. The ad will also run digitally in selected House districts to target vulnerable Republicans in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, and New York – specifically, representatives Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Davis (IL-13), Upton (MI-06), Hagedorn (MN-01), Bacon (NE-02), and Katko (NY-24).

View the national ad:

SCRIPT

Donald Trump. When he ran for President he promised to:

“Save Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security without cuts.”

But now, Trump is turning his back on seniors and families — proposing over two trillion dollars in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.

Breaking his promise.

Slashing our health care to the bone.

And for what? Tax breaks for the wealthiest corporations.

Call Congress — tell them to oppose Trump’s cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.

###

protectourcare
In News

NEW POLL: Voters Overwhelmingly Reject Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid in President Trump’s Budget Proposal

New Poll From PPP Found That Voters are Less Likely to Support President Trump’s Reelection After He Broke His Campaign Promise by Proposing Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid After Giving Tax Breaks to Big Corporations

Washington DC — Today, a new poll from Public Policy Polling (PPP) for Protect Our Care shows overwhelming voter rejection of President Trump’s newly released budget proposal because of its cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. Despite Trump’s campaign promise to oppose cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, he proposed a budget that makes these cuts after he already gave new tax breaks to big corporations. 60% of voters say they oppose Trump’s proposed Medicaid cuts, 72% say they oppose the Medicare cuts and 50% of voters say they’re less likely to vote for him because of these proposed cuts.

“This poll shows the Trump administration is acting against the will of the American people by proposing a budget that guts critical health care programs relied on by millions of Americans, especially impacting seniors and children,” said Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care. “These massive cuts to Medicare and Medicaid are even more egregious when considering the billions of dollars in tax breaks that the administration has showered on health insurance and drug companies. It’s way past time for the president and his Republican allies to wake up and stop their war on health care.”

Key findings from the survey include:

Voters overwhelmingly oppose the cuts to Medicare and Medicaid in Trump’s budget:

  • 72% oppose the Medicare Cuts in Trump’s Budget. By a 59-point margin (72% to 13%) voters oppose the proposed budget because it includes an $845-billion in cuts to Medicare. 81% of voters over the age of 65 say they oppose these cuts, and 70% of Independents also oppose the cuts to Medicare.
  • 60% oppose the Medicaid Cuts in Trump’s Budget. By a 36-point margin (60% to 24%) voters oppose the proposed budget because it includes a more than $1-trillion cut to Medicaid. 59% of Independents say they oppose the cuts to Medicaid.

Voters say the budget makes them less likely to support Trump for reelection:

  • 50% of voters say they’re less likely to support Trump because he broke his promise not to cut Medicare and Medicaid – including 54% with independents – while only 14% say they’re more likely to support him.
  • 54% of voters say they’re less likely to support Trump because he cut Medicare & Medicaid after giving away hundreds of billions of dollars in new tax breaks for big corporations, including 57% of voters people over age 65 and 51% of Independents. Just 15% say they’re more likely to support Trump due to the cuts.
  • 52% of voters say they’d vote for Trump’s Democratic opponent for President if the election were held today, compared to just 41% who say they’d vote for Trump.

Public Policy Polling surveyed 661 national voters by telephone on March 13th and 14th, on behalf of Protect Our Care. The survey’s margin of error is +/-3.8%.

protectourcare
In News

Secretary Azar Admits That HHS Is Trying To Gut Medicaid Without Congressional Approval

Washington, DC — Today, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar answered questions from Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Trump’s FY20 budget about HHS having direct conversations with various states about block granting Medicaid, all without the approval of Congress. Leslie Dach, chair of Protect Our Care, released the following statement in response:

“The block grants that Secretary Azar and Trump’s Republicans are pushing are just a thinly veiled attempt to slash Medicaid funding and rip away people’s health care, which Americans vehemently oppose. Congress has repeatedly rejected this disastrous idea and so did voters just months ago in November. It’s time for Secretary Azar to come clean with the American people about his true intention to gut Medicaid and take health care away from millions of Americans.”

protectourcare
In News

President Trump’s FY20 Budget is a Continuation of His Administration’s All-Out Assault on Americans’ Health Care

Washington, DC – After President Trump released his FY20 budget blueprint today that would continue his administration’s systematic gutting of the American health care system, Protect Our Care executive director Brad Woodhouse released the following statement:

“The president’s budget is a continuation of the administration’s years-long war on Americans’ health care and a return to the failed policy of repeal – exactly what Americans voted against in 2018. From gutting over $1.1 trillion from Medicaid and $845 billion from Medicare, to slashing HHS’ budget by double-digits, it’s clear that the administration is once again dead-set on cutting critical health care programs relied on by millions of Americans, especially ones impacting seniors and children. These massive cuts are even more egregious considering the administration has showered health insurance and big drug companies with billions of dollars in tax breaks all while continuing an all-out assault on Medicaid, and reviving aspects of the disastrous Graham-Cassidy bill that would repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace Medicaid with a block grant program. As Secretary Azar appears before multiple congressional committees this week to defend Trump’s budget, it’s clear he owes the American people an explanation as to why the administration continues to prioritize its war on American health care.”

protectourcare
In News

Back At It Again: Trump Administration Hostile to Medicaid Ignored Rules That Protect Patients


Washington DC — Today, the Los Angeles Times reports that the Trump administration is scrambling to overhaul Medicaid by requiring burdensome work requirements, but are failing to enforce federal rules directing states to analyze the devastating impact such requirements will have on millions of Americans who rely on this life-saving program. Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care, issued the following statement in response:   

“The actions by this administration are egregious, but unfortunately par for the course considering President Trump has put people in charge of Medicaid who are simply out to destroy it. Failing to enforce rules requiring states to access the impact of Medicaid work requirements shows that the Trump administration doesn’t care who their policies hurt. This is part and parcel to Trump-led Republican sabotage agenda: they oppose Medicaid expansion — which would provide health care coverage to millions more Americans, support so-call ‘block grants” — a euphemism for slashing coverage, and are pushing ‘work requirements’ – which are little more than gotcha paperwork meant to kick eligible people off the rolls. Medicaid is the nation’s largest health insurance program and is more popular today than ever before. These senseless work requirements are already jeopardizing health care for thousands of low-income families — nearly all of whom are already working — and the Trump administration is breaking every rule in the book in their rush to implement it as just another deliberate attack on American health care.”

Background:

IN STATES WHERE SIMILAR RULES HAVE TAKEN EFFECT, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE LOST CARE

  • Results from Arkansas confirm that Medicaid work requirements are fundamentally bureaucratic hurdles, threatening access to health coverage for thousands across the state. “A review of monthly data related to the new requirements released by the Arkansas Department of Human Services shows that from September through December 2018, over 18,000 people were disenrolled for failure to comply with the new requirements for three months.” [Kaiser Family Foundation, 1/17/19]
  • This summer, a federal district court blocked Kentucky from imposing similar rules for the negative effects it would have on Kentuckians. Said the court in its ruling, “[Secretary Azar] never adequately considered whether Kentucky HEALTH would in fact help the state furnish medical assistance to its citizens, a central objective of Medicaid. This signal omission renders his determination arbitrary and capricious. The Court, consequently, will vacate the approval of Kentucky’s project and remand the matter to HHS for further review.”
  • In Indiana, 25,000 people with health insurance through Medicaid were dropped from coverage because they were unable to pay their premiums. The Washington Post reported, “About 25,000 adults were disenrolled from the program between its start in 2015 and October 2017 for failure to pay their premiums, according to state reports. Yet, state officials estimate that based on surveys of recipients, about half of those who were disenrolled found another source of coverage, most often through a job…In addition to those who were disenrolled, another 46,000 adults who signed up for Medicaid during 2016 and 2017 were not accepted because they did not pay their initial premium, the state reported.”

WORK REQUIREMENTS ADD ADMINISTRATIVE HURDLES, MAKING IT HARDER FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR CARE TO GET IT

  • Requiring People On Medicaid To Prove They Are Working Adds An Administrative Burden That Is Hardest On Low-Income Americans. “[Administrative hurdles] may be especially daunting for the poor, who tend to have less stable work schedules and less access to resources that can simplify compliance: reliable transportation, a bank account, internet access.  There is also a lot of research about the Medicaid program, specifically, that shows that sign-ups fall when states make their program more complicated.” [New York Times, 1/18/18]
  • Documentation Requirements Increase The Chances That People Will Lose Care, Simply Because They Have Trouble Navigating The Process. “There is a real risk of eligible people losing coverage due to their inability to navigate these processes, miscommunication, or other breakdowns in the administrative process. People with disabilities may have challenges navigating the system to obtain an exemption for which they qualify and end up losing coverage.” [Kaiser Family Foundation, 1/16/18]

THE VAST MAJORITY OF  PEOPLE WITH MEDICAID COVERAGE WHO WHO CAN WORK ARE WORKING

  • 60 percent of nondisabled people with health coverage through Medicaid have a job and are working, including 42 percent working full-time.
  • 51 percent of working adult Medicaid enrollees have full-time jobs year-round, but their salaries are still low enough to qualify for Medicaid coverage, or have Medicaid because their employers do not offer insurance.  
  • Nearly 80 percent of nondisabled people with Medicaid coverage live in a family where at least one person is working, including 64 percent working full-time. The other adult family member may not be working because they have caregiving or other responsibilities at home.
  • A state by state breakdown can be found HERE

protectourcare
In News

Calling BS on CMS: Seema Verma’s Medicaid Spin Is a Bald-Face Lie

Washington, DC — Today, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma gave a speech at the CMS Quality Conference in Baltimore, Maryland where she tried to affirm the administration’s commitment to Medicaid, despite the multiple efforts orchestrated by Verma to sabotage and undermine the program.

In response, Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care, released the following statement:

“Seema Verma’s comment today is, plain and simple, a bald-faced lie. This administration has worked against Medicaid at every turn. Indeed, not since Medicaid was signed into law more than 50 years ago has there been an administration or an Administrator more hostile to Medicaid than the Trump administration and Seema Verma. The Trump administration supports so-called work requirements like those in Arkansas which has already ripped coverage away from 18,000 people, opposed Medicaid expansion in states across the country, and advocated for the block granting of Medicaid which is a euphemism for slashing its budget and kicking people off the rolls.

Fortunately, the American people have a different view: Medicaid has never been more popular. The attacks on Medicaid by this administration and its Republican allies led in large part to the defeat of the ACA repeal effort. And, during the 2019 election, voters across the country rejected the Republicans’ sabotage agenda and either expanded Medicaid at the polls or elected pro-Medicaid politicians who promised to do so in office. The truth is, Medicaid is flourishing despite this administration’s efforts to undermine it and no type of Orwellian spin from Administrator Verma can change that.”

protectourcare
In News

Here We Go Again: Trump Tries To End Medicaid As We Know It

Washington, D.C. — New reporting from Politico indicates that the Trump administration is trying to roll back protections for life-saving health care by ending Medicaid as we know it. Even in the midst of a federal government shutdown, President Trump is still working overtime to sabotage health care for millions by devising a plan that would impose limits on Medicaid spending. Leslie Dach, chair of Protect Our Care issued the following statement in response:

“By now, it should be abundantly clear that Donald Trump and his Republican allies will stop at nothing to rip apart our health care. While hundreds of thousands of Americans are going without their paychecks, the Trump administration is adding insult to injury by working to end Medicaid as we know it. Make no mistake, bypassing Congress to turn Medicaid into a block grant program would put the care of millions of children, families, and seniors who rely on the program at severe risk. Enough is enough. It’s time for Trump to call-off his relentless war on Medicaid.”

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Elections Matter: Virginia Medicaid Expansion Already Bringing Affordable Care to 200,000 Virginians

Washington, D.C. – Less than a year after Democrat Ralph Northam was sworn in as Virginia’s Governor, 200,000 people have already gained access to health care as a result of Medicaid expansion which officially took effect yesterday.  Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care, released the following statement in response:

“Elections matter, and nowhere is this more clear than in Virginia. Virginia Republicans spent years rejecting Medicaid expansion, but Virginia had its highest voter turnout in the past two decades in 2017, electing Democrats up and down the ballot, clearing a path for Medicaid expansion. Over the past two years, five states have voted to expand Medicaid, a clear and direct rebuke to the Trump Administration’s ongoing sabotage agenda on Medicaid and Americans’ health care. Make no mistake, from Virginia and Maine to Idaho, Nebraska and Utah, elections matter and hundreds of thousands of Americans are gaining access to life-saving coverage and rejecting the ongoing Republican war on health care which continues to this very day.”

What does Medicaid expansion mean for Virginians?

AP: More Than 200,000 People Have Already Been Enrolled. “Thousands of uninsured, low-income Virginians will have new health care coverage starting in the new year. Virginia is joining more than 30 states that have expanded Medicaid, a key part of former President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul… The state’s Medicaid office has been working with hospitals, advocates for the poor, insurance companies and others to help enroll the newly eligible into Medicaid. Coverage starts Jan. 1 and the state said Friday that more than 200,000 people have been enrolled.” [Bradenton Herald, 12/31/18]

WSLS: “More People In The Commonwealth Have Access To Health Coverage.” “More people in the commonwealth have access to health coverage starting today.  That’s because Virginia joins 32 other states in expanding Medicaid coverage. This will give more adults between the ages of 19 and 64 access to quality low-cost and no-cost health insurance.” [WSLS, 1/1/19]

Delegate Sam Rasoul: “It’s Been A Long Process But Is Fantastic.” “‘It’s been a long process but is fantastic. Over the past couple months, there’s been open enrollment. And 200,000 Virginians have already been signed up into Medicaid and have health care coverage and many others, for the first time ever, starting today. And we still have another couple hundred thousand to go,’ said Delegate Sam Rasoul.” [WSLS, 1/1/19]

Casey Thompson, 21-Year Old Virginian: “It’s Massive.” “Casey Thompson, a 21-year-old who has been uninsured for two years, said she lost all her savings when she had to go to a hospital in May for a ruptured cyst. She said she is thrilled she’ll be covered under Medicaid expansion starting in January and will no longer have to worry about unexpected medical costs. ‘It’s massive,’ she said.” [Bradenton Herald, 12/31/18]

What spurred this change?

AP: Expansion Occurred After 2017 Democratic Wave Election, GOP Repeal Attempts. “Opponents argued that Medicaid expansion was fiscally irresponsible because the long-term costs are unsustainable. Several factors contributed to Republicans switching position on the issue after years of opposition. They include a Democratic wave election in 2017 and the inability of President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans to repeal Obama’s signature health care law.” [Bradenton Herald, 12/31/18]

Was this mindset limited to just Virginia?

Lincoln Journal Star: After Republicans Refused, Nebraskans Voted To Expand Medicaid. “After seven years of legislative refusal to expand Medicaid in Nebraska, voters in November extended coverage to an estimated 90,000 adult Nebraskans who are working at low-wage jobs. That decision will bring a projected $1.3 billion in federal funding flowing into the state during the first three years of the new program.” [Lincoln Journal Star, 12/28/28]

Forbes: After Republicans Refused, Idahoans Voted To Expand Medicaid. “Idaho voted Tuesday to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act via ballot initiative, overcoming conservative Republican state legislators who refused for years to pass additional coverage for the state’s poor. With nearly 60% support and two-thirds of the votes counted, voters in Idaho were following the lead of voters in Maine who last November voted to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act in a public referendum at the ballot box. Supporters of Idaho’s Medicaid expansion put it on Tuesday’s midterm general election ballot after their Republican-controlled legislature for years balked at the idea.” [Forbes, 11/7/18]

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Medicaid Expansion Makes Sense “Both Fiscally And Socially.” “Experts and the evidence agree, increasing access to MAT is one of the most important policy changes we could implement to combat the opioid epidemic. They also agree that Medicaid expansion is a key move that could be made to improve access; it is the largest source of funding for treatment. Medicaid, which has broad public support, covers the poorest, most marginalized people in our communities who often have some of the most complicated health care needs. In the past, Wisconsin’s Medicaid program had a high-caliber reputation. Like all state Medicaid programs, BadgerCare is jointly financed by the state and federal government, which has a generous matching structure for any state dollars spent. As Wisconsin’s opioid mortality continues to skyrocket above the national average, expanding Medicaid here makes sense both fiscally and socially.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1/2/19]

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