April is Medicaid Awareness Month, a time when we recognize the contributions Medicaid has made to the health and well-being of tens of millions of Americans since its inception as a federal/state health insurance program in 1965. Today, Medicaid helps cover medical costs for nearly 72 million Americans, including health care costs for over 30% of individuals with disabilities, over 60% of nursing home residents, and nearly 17 million adults over age 50.

Of note, there is a measure in Congress that calls for cuts to Medicaid of up to $880 billion over a decade that could end all that. Should those cuts ultimately be passed, millions of American children and families could lose access to health care for everything from emergency room visits to treatment for asthma to skilled nursing home care. Preventative health care screenings would become much harder to access, resulting in delayed diagnoses of cancers and other serious conditions and an increase in preventable deaths. Rural hospitals would risk having to close altogether, shutting off an essential lifeline to health care for millions of families in rural communities. Low-income, vulnerable, and marginalized communities across the country would see an increase in health disparities and poorer health outcomes. Further, mental and behavioral health care, critical services provided by clinical social workers, would become even harder to access for the millions of Americans suffering with depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and other conditions.

American families deserve better. Please join NASW in our fight for the Medicaid program and for the health and well-being all Americans deserve. Contact your members of Congress today and tell them to vote against any proposed cuts to the Medicaid program. A personalized message goes a long way with members of Congress, so please add information to our editable email.