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Budget FY2006Medicaid: Maintaining the Safety Net"There is no way to hide the fact that these cuts hurt beneficiaries. Most of the cuts in the Medicaid program come directly from the families who depend on it – either by raising their payments, making health care unaffordable, or not paying for needed treatments when they do seek care" -- Statement of Rep. John D. Dingell, Dec. 19, 2005, House Floor Debate on the Conference Report on Reconciliation Budget Cuts "Medicaid Cuts Hurt Beneficiaires" -- January 31, 2006, Dear Democratic Colleague Letter "Reject the Reconciliation Spending Bill's Giveaways to HMOs and Drug Companies" -- January 31, 2006, Dear Colleague Letter Reconciliation Conference Report Worse For Medicaid Beneficiaries than House-Passed Bill Summary of Medicaid Amendments in the Rule to Be Considered as Adopted to the Reconciliation Act of 2005 Summary of Medicaid Cuts in the House Reconciliation bill Republicans Cut Health Care for Poor Mothers and Children to Finance More Tax Cuts for the Rich House Republican Medicaid Cuts: All the Wrong Priorities Medicaid Has Already Given Its Fair Share Comparison of Medicaid Provisions of the House and Senate Reconciliation Bills Dear Colleague Letters:
Dissenting Views of Democratic Members of the Committee on Energy and Commerce regarding Title II -- Medicaid, Katrina Health Care Relief, and Katrina and Rita Energy Relief Budget Reconciliation Recommendations "Let there be no mistake. Our meetings this week to carry out our Republican colleagues’ budget are not to reduce deficits. To the contrary, reconciliation will increase deficits. Quite simply, the Committee is meeting to try to find ways to pay for Republican tax cuts for the wealthy. Who are the Republicans asking to pay for the lost revenue? Needy Americans and ordinary Americans..." "This budget provides $105.7 billion in tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans, above the $1.9 trillion already bestowed upon them since 2001...But this resolution goes further -- it takes from the poor to give to the rich by shredding our healthcare safety net. This resolution will result in $10 billion in cuts to Medicaid, and possibly more..." "Medicaid is not the problem. It has done a better job at holding down costs than private insurance. Medicaid is absorbing the costs of care not covered under Medicare. An independent look at Medicaid may show that the better solution is to shore up, not cut, this program that so many Americans depend upon for vital services. -- Statement of Congressman John D. Dingell during consideration of the motion to instruct conferees on the FY2006 Budget Resolution, H.Con.Res. 95 (April 26, 2005) Medicaid's Role in Rural Areas of the United States The President's Medicaid Budget Hurts Children and Minorities The President's FY2006 Budget: Unraveling the Health Safety Net "We stand ready to work with you and the Governors to strengthen and increase the efficiency of the Medicaid program so it can continue to provide quality health and long-term care services to American families. As we do so, we ask that you commit to pursuing improvements that do not shift costs to the states, that protect beneficiaries from losing access to needed and affordable benefits, and that preserve the fundamental guarantee of health insurance coverage for eligible Americans." -- Letter to President Bush from House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, House Committee on Energy and Commerce Ranking Member John D. Dingell, Senate Committee on Finance Ranking Member Max Baucus, House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health Ranking Member Sherrod Brown, and Senate Committee on Finance Subcommittee on Health Care Ranking Member Jay Rockefeller NOTE: Please refer to the Committee majority website for witness testimony and text of amendments offered during markups. October 27 and 28, 2005, Full Committee Markup of Committee Print (Budget Reconciliation, Title II- Medicaid, Katrina Health Care Relief, and Katrina and Rita Energy Relief
September 8, 2005, Full Committee Hearing, "Medicaid: Empowering Beneficiaries on the Road to Reform"
June 22, 2005, Subcommittee on Health Hearing, "Medicaid Prescription Drugs: Examining Options for Payment Reform"
June 15, 2005, Full Committee Hearing, "Medicaid Reform: The National Governors Association's Bipartisan Roadmap"
April 27 , 2005, Full Committee Hearing, "Long-Term Care and Medicaid: Spiraling Costs and the Need for Reform"
"I am contacting you on behalf of the American Nurses Association (ANA) to urge you to oppose cuts to Medicaid in the FY 2006 Budget Resolution, and to express our support for the establishment of a Bipartisan Medicaid Commission." "...please remember that Medicaid is the essential source of health access for 53 million of our nation's most vulnerable citizens, and any changes to the program should be driven by policy and not by arbitrary budget numbers. " "As debate on the budget resolution moves to the House floor, we strongly urge you to oppose any cuts or caps to the Medicaid program." "The 2006 Federal Budget that President Bush has sent to Capitol Hill is unjust...We urge the members of our churches, of other churches and other faiths, and all whose conscience compels them to do justice to join us in opposing this budget." "We are writing to urge you to reject Medicaid cuts and caps that shift cost and risk to vulnerable Americans needing long-term care and to commit to reinvest efficiency savings back into the program to help offset the growing and undeniable long term care cost challenges confronting Medicaid." "We share the goal of ensuring the long-term financial stability of Medicaid, but we believe the Medicaid reductions as outlined in the President's budget proposal may undermine what we believe is our shared interest -- to ensure that our health care safety net is reliable, secure and provides quality care to our nation's poor and elderly." On February 7, President Bush released his Fiscal Year 2006 budget. In response, Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism issued the following statement noting, "If the federal budget is to reflect those values, the U.S. Congress must craft a budget that cares for America's children, elderly, sick and, poor--and above all secures an American future in which equity, justice and compassion are at the center of our national life."
"On behalf of New York City's over one million seniors and people with disabilities who depend on Medicare and the over two and a half million vulnerable New York City residents, many of whom are children and seniors, who rely on Medicaid, I strongly urge that you not include any reductions in the fiscal year 2006 budget that merely cap the rate of growth or merely cap spending on Medicare or Medicaid, nor consider these programs as part of a reconciliation proposal." "On behalf of AARP's more than 35 million members, I urge you, as you review this year's budget submission, to reject arbitrary caps or cuts in the Medicaid program....Medicaid provides necessary health care for one in every six Americans. It is the safety net for older Americans needing long-term care, for the disabled, and for children in poverty. It is the last resort for millions of poor American families whose wages are so low they cannot afford health insurance." "The undersigned organizations that serve and advocate for people living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS are writing to strongly urge you not to proposed cuts in Medicaid funding and/or any changes in the program's structure that would alter the open-ended financing for states." "Maintain the federal government's fiscal commitment to the Medicaid program and its beneficiaries." "As you finalize your budget proposal for fiscal year 2006, the undersigned organizations representing national organizations and state and local organizations from all 50 states and the District of Columbia urge you not to cut Medicaid or make changes that would alter the fundamental structure of the program." "We are concerned that efforts to reform the system will come in the form of aditional costs to state and local governments through cost shifting particularly if done through a budget reduction and reconciliation process." "On behalf of over 3 million volunteers and 1,400 staff of the March of Dimes Foundation, I am writing to express our strong commitment to working with your Administration to secure the role of Medicaid in the health care safety net for low income children, infants, and women of childbearing age (especially those who are pregnant)....We respectfully request that your fiscal year 2006 budget proposal not call for significant budget savings from Medicaid, as federal funding levels impact the ability of States to provide needed health services to the most vulnerable among us..." "On behalf of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), I am writing to emphasize our continuing interest in working with the Administration to ensure that Medicaid remains a strong health care safety net and is adequately funded to meet the health care needs of low-income and disabled Americans." "The nation's Governors look forward to working closely with the Administration and Congress to reform Medicaid...Reform, however, should not be part of a 2006 fiscal year budget reduction and reconciliation process, especially if it does nothing more than shift additional costs to states." "On behalf of America's health care providers, we are writing to strongly urge that in your Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 budget you do not include any reductions on the rate of growth or propose caps on Medicare or Medicaid spending." "On behalf of the National Mental Health Association (NMHA), I am writing to express our grave concerns regarding any possible proposals in your FY2006 budget that would result in capping or cutting Medicaid funding or eligibility." |
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