Healthcare Leaders Warn Proposed Federal Medicaid Cuts Would Harm Patients, Providers

On Tuesday, February 25, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget resolution to trim federal spending by up to $2 trillion — cuts that could potentially impact Medicaid and other key healthcare programs.  This comes after the Senate passed a resolution last week that would authorize roughly $340 billion in spending and be fully offset by corresponding spending cuts.

The bill mandates the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid and Medicare, to slash $880 billion over the next decade.  Though the House’s budget resolution does not explicitly call for cuts to Medicaid, some have suggested the committee procure the majority of the savings from the program.  Both chambers must pass a common budget resolution to move forward with the reconciliation process. 

The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) joins healthcare institutions across the nation imploring Congress to take seriously the impact of cuts to healthcare programs, particularly Medicaid, and reject dramatic reductions to the program as part of a reconciliation vehicle.

CHA continues to express concern about preserving Medicaid funding and is monitoring the federal activity around this issue very closely.  This week, senior leaders from CHA visited members of the Connecticut congressional delegation in Washington, D.C., to thank them for their ongoing opposition to cuts to Medicaid, encourage them to continue their advocacy, and offer assistance in the fight against reductions that would be detrimental to hospitals and patients. 

Amid uncertainty in Washington, CHA is also advocating for collaboration on the state level and for a state biennial budget that protects patients, supports care delivery and the healthcare workforce, and plans for Connecticut’s future, in part by addressing chronic Medicaid underpayment.