1. United States
2. S.C.
3. Letter

Congress please bring us together as we are one nation. Subject: Request to Expand Portability of Medicare and Medicaid for U.S. Citizens To Whom It May Concern: I am writing to raise a concern regarding the portability and use of American healthcare benefits. The United States maintains embassies and a federal presence in countries all over the world, yet American citizens cannot use their Medicare or Medicaid benefits in those locations. If our government is present and operating in these areas, our citizens' federally-funded healthcare should be recognized there as well. Furthermore, Medicaid is a federally funded program, but its use is restricted by state. As a South Carolina resident, if my child becomes ill while we are in New York, we face barriers to using our coverage. This does not reflect the idea of a united country. If we are one United States, federally funded healthcare should be usable in every state. I respectfully request that Congress consider: Allowing Medicare and Medicaid benefits to be usable in any U.S. state without restriction, and Exploring a framework to allow these benefits to be used for essential care in locations where the United States maintains an official embassy presence. Americans should be able to rely on their healthcare wherever they are, especially in places where America itself is present. Thank you for your time and for your service to our country. Sincerely, Melissa If you would like to talk about anything, just call me 803-629-0726