250 ORGANIZATIONS RESPOND TO MEDICAID CUTS
 IN  H. CON. RES. 393,  REPUBLICAN BUDGET RESOLUTION FOR FY 2005

• "Proposing reductions without ensuring the preservation of coverage for those in need simply transfers the burden to the states."
  -- March 9, 2004, letter from 29 Members representing 13 states to House Budget Committee Chairman Nussle (pdf)

• "We urge the Budget Committee to refrain from proposing cuts to Medicaid spending.  Any cuts would add millions to the ranks of the uninsured at a time when Congress is working to reduce those ranks."
  -- March 9, 2004, letter from 28 House Members to House Budget Committee Chairman Nussle  (pdf)

• "Federal funding reductions would force states to implement even deeper cuts by restricting eligibility, eliminating or reducing critical health benefits, and cutting or freezing provider reimbursement rates."
  -- March 16, 2004, letter from the National Governors Association to House Budget Committee Chairman Nussle and House Budget Committee Ranking Member Spratt (pdf)

• "This is certainly not a time when the federal government should be pursuing policy that could add millions more Americans to the ranks of the uninsured, and further damage the fragile health care safety net and critical provider networks."
  -- March 16, 2004, letter from the Democratic Governors' Association to Speaker Hastert (pdf)

• "Arbitrary reductions in Medicaid would be particularly harmful at this time, as those who rely on this program are already losing access to care as states continue to wrestle with budget shortfalls..." 
  -- March 23, 2004, letter from AARP to House Members (pdf)

• "We are deeply troubled by the House Budget Resolution that calls for immediate and long-term cuts in funding for domestic discretionary and entitlement programs that are critical to providing care and treatment to people living with AIDS..." 
  -- March 16, 2004, letter from 32 AIDS organizations to House Members(pdf)

• "America's health care providers stand together in strongly opposing Medicaid funding reductions and urge you to reject them in the House budget resolution for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005" 
  -- March 11, 2004, letter from America's Health Care Providers to House Members (pdf)

• "We strongly urge you to protect Medicaid from additional cuts." 
  -- March 22, 2004, letter from America's Hospitals and Health Systems to House Members (pdf)

• "If states are forced to make more cuts, many physicians will be forced to curtail the provision of services to beneficiaries, not as choice but as an economic necessity."
  -- March 16, 2004, letter from the American Medical Association to Representative Capps supporting her amendment to strike the instructions in the budget resolution to the Committee on Energy and Commerce (pdf)

  "California opposes reductions in Medicaid funding and changes in current policy that would erode federal support of the state's fragile health care delivery system."
  -- March 22, 2004, letter from California Governor Schwarzenegger to the California Delegation (pdf)

  "We are particularly concerned that the Budget Resolution requires the Energy and Commerce Committee to make deep cuts in entitlement programs, and would likely lead to $2.2 billion in Medicaid cuts."
  -- March 22, 2004, letter from the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations to sent to House Members (pdf)

  "These cuts could cause severe reductions or even elimination of Medicaid services, including the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program."  --  March 17, 2004, letter from the National Breast Cancer Coalition to House Members (pdf)

  "We urge you to oppose any Medicaid cuts in the fiscal year 2005 budget..."
  -- March 23, 2004, letter from the National Mental Health Association to House Members (pdf)

  "On behalf of the 1.6 million members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), I urge you to oppose the Medicaid cuts included in the fiscal year 2005 budget resolution...Such cuts would harm the more than 51 million people who rely on Medicaid for their health care."
   -- March 15, 2004, letter from the SEIU to House Members (pdf)

• "States need more, not less, federal Medicaid funding to sustain their current Medicaid programs and avoid greater cutbacks that add to the ranks of the uninsured and further cost shirts to health care providers."
  -- March 15, 2004, letter from a consortium of health care organizations to House Members(pdf)