MedPage Today
2/22/17
By Shannon Firth
Advocates for children, the elderly, and those with disabilities are gearing up to urge state governors and Congress not to advance proposals they believe will slash Medicaid dollars.
Leaders of five advocacy groups professed deep concern over potentially shrinking Medicaid funding during a press call on Wednesday, ahead of the National Governors Association’s Winter Meeting that begins Friday.
Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus, a “nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to making children and families the priority in federal policy and budget decisions,” noted that “child advocates have urged Congress to do no harm. Unfortunately, Medicaid block grants and per capita caps would do harm.”
Lesley said such changes would force states to cut people off coverage or withhold benefits, create waiting lists, freeze enrollment, cut provider payments, or raise taxes “or some combination of all of the above.”