Refuse to support budget without restoration of Medicaid, SNAP, ACA subsidies

I am writing to urge you to refuse to support the upcoming budget if it does not preserve full funding for SNAP, Medicaid/CHIP, support for rural and underserved health providers, and ACA subsidies. The cuts in these areas are already causing serious harm to both individuals and communities. • SNAP: A Penn-LDI study estimates that provisions in the current bill would lead to 93,000 premature deaths by 2039 as millions lose benefits. Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have found that reductions in SNAP are linked to declines in physical health among recipients, although the exact magnitude and nature of the impacts may vary. The CBO projects that cuts will disproportionately harm children, older adults, and people with disabilities, forcing families to choose between food, rent, and medicine. • Medicaid/CHIP for individuals: More than a million low-income Medicare beneficiaries would lose help with premiums and drug costs, leaving many unable to afford needed prescriptions. Parents of CHIP-enrolled children already report skipping doctor visits and delaying care as states trim enrollment. Without restoration of funds, children, people with disabilities, and seniors will bear the brunt through lost coverage and higher out-of-pocket costs. • Rural hospitals and providers: Glenn Medical Center in rural Glenn County, California, is shutting down its only emergency room after losing its critical access hospital status—cutting off emergency care for thousands. In Nebraska, Webster County Community Hospital warns it may close its ER, clinic, and nursing home, leaving residents nearly an hour from care. Hundreds of other rural hospitals are at immediate risk of closure if Medicaid cuts proceed. •Cuts to the ACA subsidies are also driving up premiums. Without restoration, millions of people will face higher monthly costs or lose coverage altogether, worsening medical debt and reducing access to preventive care. Before agreeing to the budget, I ask that you insist on restoring: • Full funding for SNAP so no one loses benefits or sees them severely reduced. • Medicaid/CHIP funding and eligibility protections so children, low-income families, and those with disabilities don’t lose access to care or face higher out-of-pocket costs. • Safeguards for rural hospitals, clinics, and health centers, which are financial lifelines for underserved areas; ensure supplemental payments and provider reimbursements are not slashed. The consequences of the cuts made to these programs are not abstract or distant—they are already emerging and will intensify. Please ensure they are restored!