Congress is currently discussing changes to the Medicaid program that could reduce Medicaid spending. This discussion is occurring as part of Congress’ work this year on legislation to extend the 2017 tax reform law and to reduce overall federal spending. The House and Senate have now both passed a Budget Resolution that sets up the process for Budget Reconciliation legislation; within the Budget Resolution, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicare Part B, Medicaid, and other programs, has been instructed to produce legislation that reduces the deficit by $880 million.

Medicaid is the primary and largest single payer for care provided in nursing homes, covering the cost of care for approximately 2/3’s of nursing home residents.  Proposals under consideration for reducing Medicaid spending include reducing the amount of federal matching dollars sent to the states, limiting spending per Medicaid eligible person, reducing provider taxes (which are used in almost every state to help fund nursing home care) and reducing federal matching dollars for the expansion population.

Cuts to Medicaid will have far-reaching consequences for seniors in America. They will lead to increased state financial burdens, reduced provider reimbursement, and a loss of essential services for our nation’s most vulnerable populations, including our seniors, which will put an increased strain on family caregivers and our communities. 

In order to target our message to the appropriate Members of Congress, this campaign will only be sent to Republican U.S. House of Representative Members and Republican U.S. Senate Members. If your Senator or Representative is not a Republican, you will not be able to send a message.

Call to Action:  

Take action now--help ensure that any changes to Medicaid funding do not impact patients' access to nursing homes or home and community-based services.