Block Grants Reduce Federal Funding, Shifting Costs to the State
Ask state officials to say no to Medicaid block grants!
National health officials recently announced that they will allow states to apply for block grants and per capita caps for parts of their Medicaid programs. Block grants and caps are simply Medicaid cuts in disguise.
The block grant Medicaid funding system proposes to change federal government payments from a percentage of a state’s Medicaid Waiver Program to a fixed amount. If the state’s Medicaid Waiver spending grows under a block grant system and the fixed federal contribution is not enough to cover the increase, the state is left to cover the new costs. The resulting strain on Georgia’s budget means state lawmakers would have to choose among cutting services, reducing reimbursement rates or denying health coverage to eligible Georgians. Block grants reduce federal funding over time, leaving states with less federal money to help pay for their Medicaid benefits. A significant share of the costs will be shifted to states even if federal cuts are slowly phased in and states will lose a way to receive federal help to ensure all eligible residents and services are covered. Please see the Medicaid Waiver Block Grant Option Fact Sheet for more information.
Comment Here: https://p2a.co/CAIN7lM
ACA Hearing Before the Supreme Court
The Affordable Care Act remains under attack by the Trump administration and Republicans. Georgia is one of many states who are part of an irresponsible lawsuit that wants to abolish the ACA and take us backwards. The Supreme Court is set to hear these dangerous claims this fall. If the administration prevails, then all of our hard-fought protections would disappear: preexisting conditions protection, subsidies that help working people purchase insurance, Medicaid expansion, and coverage of essential benefits. Premiums will rise, prescription drugs will cost more, and profit-driven insurance companies will be back in charge.
If ACA protections are stripped away, the number of uninsured people would increase by approximately 20 million, or 65 percent nationally. This will disproportionately harm low income Georgians, young adults, working families, and children. Less coverage inevitably leads to people putting off critically needed care, crippling medical debt and people dying because they lack coverage. Georgians cannot tolerate any more chaos in our healthcare system.
Call AG Chris Carr today and tell him you want the ACA protected. Ask him to withdraw support from the court case. Georgians are counting on access to health insurance.
Contact AG Chris Carr at the Georgia Law Department
Attorney General Main Phone Line: (404) 656-3300
Chris Carr’s Twitter Account: @Georgia_AG
