1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to you as a concerned constituent in your district to urge you to protect Medicaid funding. I am particularly concerned about potential cuts to Medicaid being considered by Congress, as outlined in H.Con.Res. l, a concurrent resolution establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2025 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2026 through 2034. This resolution proposes significant changes to federal spending and revenue levels over the next decade. I am deeply worried about the potential impact of these changes on crucial programs like Medicaid. According to recent estimates, if states are forced to bear the additional costs of Medicaid expansion, it could result in a 17% increase in state Medicaid spending over 10 years. Even more alarmingly, if states drop their expansions due to the increased financial burden, an estimated 20 million low-income individuals could lose their health insurance coverage. Specifically, I am concerned about Title II, Section 2001 of H.Con.Res. l, which outlines reconciliation instructions for various House committees. In particular, the reconciliation instructions for the Committee on Energy and Commerce to reduce the deficit by not less than $880 billion for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2034. The Committee on Ways and Means is instructed to increase the deficit by no more than $4.5 trillion for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2034. Given that Medicaid falls under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, it seems likely that cuts to Medicaid are being considered to meet these deficit reduction targets. I urge you to consider the following points: 1. Medicaid cuts would disproportionately affect low-income individuals, exacerbating health disparities and increasing financial instability for millions of Americans. 2. Reduced Medicaid funding would strain state budgets, potentially leading to cuts in other crucial programs that support older adults and people with disabilities. 3. Many Medicare beneficiaries rely on caregivers who are insured through Medicaid expansion. Cuts to Medicaid could jeopardize the health and stability of these caregivers, indirectly affecting the well-being of Medicare beneficiaries. 4. The interconnected nature of Medicare, Medicaid, and the ACA means that cuts to one program inevitably impact the others, potentially destabilizing our entire healthcare system. As your constituent, I implore you to stand against any proposals that would cut Medicaid funding within H.Con.Res. l. Instead, I urge you to work towards policies that expand access to affordable, high-quality healthcare for all Americans. Thank you for your time and consideration of this critical issue.