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Families USA
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 20, 2003
4:02 PM
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CONTACT:
Families
USA
Anita D. Watts, 202-628-3030
awatts@familiesusa.org
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Over 130 Organizations Speak Out Against Proposed
Medicaid Cuts
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| WASHINGTON
- March 20 - The House Budget Committee's proposal, as submitted
by Chairman Nussle, currently includes $92 billion in Medicaid
cuts and $2billion in SCHIP cuts. We expect a vote on the budget
sometime today, March 20. This resolution would require the Energy
and Commerce Committee to institute these Medicaid cuts as part
of a reconciliation bill.
Such devastating
cuts will create enormous hardship. Medicaid provides health insurance
to America's most vulnerable seniors, children, working families,
and people with disabilities. States need more, not less, federal
Medicaid funding to sustain their current Medicaid programs and
avoid instituting even greater cutbacks that add to the ranks
of the uninsured.
Attached and
copied below is a letter signed by over 130 organizations opposing
these cuts to the Medicaid program in the House budget. This letter
was sent to the members of the Energy and Commerce and Budget
Committees. _________________
March 19, 2003
Dear Member,
The undersigned
organizations strongly oppose any cuts to the Medicaid program
as part of the fiscal year 2004 budget resolution. As you know,
the budget resolution reported by the House Budget Committee would
require an estimated $95 billion in cuts to Medicaid over the
next 10 years. Such cuts would irreparably harm the millions of
Americans now receiving essential health care coverage through
the Medicaid program.
Medicaid provides
health insurance to America's most vulnerable seniors, children,
pregnant women, working families, and people with disabilities.
Seniors receive prescription drug coverage and long-term care
services through Medicaid. Children obtain vital screening and
prevention services under Medicaid. Medicaid also provides the
crucial services such as personal care and therapy that people
with disabilities need.
The Budget
Committee's resolution would require the Energy and Commerce Committee
to institute Medicaid cuts of an estimated $95 billion as part
of a reconciliation bill. Such devastating cuts will create enormous
hardship. These cuts would occur as states are facing the most
severe budget crisis since World War II. States need more, not
less, federal Medicaid funding to sustain their current Medicaid
programs and avoid instituting even greater cutbacks that add
to the ranks of the uninsured.
We urge you
to oppose any Medicaid cuts as part of the fiscal year 2004 budget
and to ensure the elimination of the reconciliation instructions
directing that the Energy and Commerce Committee to institute
these unacceptable cuts. We also ask you to oppose any cuts to
Medicaid in the final budget resolution conference report adopted
by Congress.
Sincerely,
ACORN: Association
of Community Organizations for Reform Now AIDS Action Baltimore,
Inc. AIDS Foundation of Chicago AIDS Survival Project AIDS Treatment
Activists Coalition AIDS Treatment Data Network Alliance for Children
and Families Alliance for Retired Americans Alzheimer's Association
Ambulatory Pediatric Association American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry American Academy of Pediatrics American
Association of People with Disabilities American Association of
School Administrators American Association on Mental Retardation
American Congress of Community Support & Employment Services American
Council of the Blind American Counseling Association American
Dental Association American Dental Hygienists' Association American
Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees American Federation
of Teachers American Geriatrics Society American Health Care Association
American Humane American Network of Community Options and Resources
American Nurses Association American Occupational Therapy Association
American Pediatric Society American Psychiatric Association American
Psychological Association American Public Health Association American
Society for Deaf Children AMERIGROUP Association for Health Center
Affiliated Health Plans Association of Maternal & Child Health
Programs Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs
Association of University Centers on Disabilities Bazelon Center
for Mental Health Law Brain Injury Association of America Centene
Corporation Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York
Children's Defense Fund Child Welfare League of America Community
Healthcare Network Conference of Educational Administrators of
Schools and Programs for the Deaf Consortium for Citizens with
Disabilities Health Task Force Consortium of Developmental Disabilities
Councils Consumers Union Council of Women's and Infants' Specialty
Hospitals Diamonds in the Ruff Children's Society Easter Seals
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Epilepsy Foundation
Families USA Family Connection of South Carolina, Inc. Family
Voices Florida AIDS Action Foundation for Integrative AIDS Research,
Brooklyn, NY Friends and Relatives of Institutionalized Aged Gay
Men's Health Crisis Generations United Housing Works, Inc. Human
Rights Campaign International Foundation for Alternative Research
in AIDS International Union, UAW Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Chicago Kennedy Krieger Institute L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center March
of Dimes Marcus Institute Medicare Rights Center National Alliance
of State and Territorial AIDS Directors National Association for
Children's Behavioral Health National Association for Home Care
and Hospice National Association of Area Agencies on Aging National
Association of Child Advocates National Association of Children's
Hospitals National Association of Community Health Centers National
Association of Counties National Association of Developmental
Disabilities Councils National Association of Mental Health Planning
and Advisory Councils National Association of Pediatric Nurse
Practitioners National Association of Protection and Advocacy
Systems National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems
National Association of Social Workers National Association of
State Directors of Special Education National Citizen's Coalition
for Nursing Home Reform National Coalition for the Homeless National
Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare National Council of
La Raza National Council on the Aging National Down Syndrome Congress
National Education Association National Family Caregivers Association
National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association National
Health Care for the Homeless Council National Health Law Program
National Mental Health Association National Minority AIDS Council
National Partnership for Women and Families National Respite Coalition
National Senior Citizens Law Center National Women's Law Center
New York Citizens' Committee on Aging New Yorkers for Accessible
Health Coverage Nursing Home Community Coalition of New York State
NYC AIDS Housing Network Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute
Planned Parenthood Federation of America Project DOCC - Delivery
of Chronic Care Project Inform, San Francisco Public Justice Center
SAVE ADAP Committee of the AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition
Service Employees International Union Society for Adolescent Medicine
Society for Pediatric Research South Carolina Respite Coalition
Spina Bifida Association of America Stand for Children The Alan
Guttmacher Institute The Arc of the United States The Title II
Community AIDS National Network Treatment Action Group Union of
American Hebrew Congregations United Cerebral Palsy United Jewish
Communities Voice of the Retarded Volunteers of America Women
Employed Women of Reform Judaism
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