URGENT ACTION ITEM

The Disability March strongly URGES you to READ this post, SHARE it on YOUR OWN FEED with your network of friends with a REQUEST THEY ALSO RE-POST, and CONTACT your SENATORS, REPRESENTATIVES, and the GOVERNOR of your state.

The House of Representatives is expected to introduce a bill to cut Medicaid and the ACA on February 27 and to begin Committee work immediately.

On MEDICAID:

The House outline calls for converting Medicaid to either a per capita (per person) cap (limit) or a block grant. All past Republican proposals for Medicaid per capita caps and block grants have featured deep cuts that grew steeply over time. No features of a per capita cap or a block grant would let states absorb these cuts without CUTTING COVERAGE. States will have to decide who would lose coverage and how care would be rationed among the families, seniors and people with disabilities now covered by Medicaid (in addition to the coverage losses for low-income adults from elimination of the Medicaid expansion which occurred under the Affordable Care Act.) By ending the Medicaid expansion, states will be forced to pit the needs of low-income but able-bodied adults for coverage against the needs of children, seniors and disabled persons. The Republicans plan to use the savings from this draconian action to pay for tax cuts for high earners and to eliminate drug company, insurer, and other fees that helped finance the ACA’s coverage expansion. THEY PLAN TO STEAL FROM THE POOR AND GIVE TO THE WEALTHY. These tax cuts would average $50,000 per year for households with incomes over $1 million.

ON THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT:

The plans outlined by the Republicans would eliminate elements of the ACA that have helped successfully extend health coverage and broaden affordability, while replacing them with provisions that fall far short of meeting the standards the ACA set in terms of access, affordability, and quality. Their Plan would:

1) Replace a tax credit that makes coverage affordable with one that wouldn’t Moderate-income families would be offered far less help with premiums and no replacement at all for the assistance the ACA gives them with deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses. Everyone is on the hook for most or all premium increases with the result that tax credits would cover less and less of the cost of coverage over time.
2) Expand “Health Savings Accounts” that do little for families struggling to pay for insurance. These HSAs only help wealthy families who can afford to put money into a tax-advantaged account.
3) Offer “State Innovation Grants” to substitute for coverage: DON’T BE FOOLED: They want to bring back High-Risk Pools, where a lot of disabled people not already on Medicare would be dumped.

We need advocates to reach out to their Senators, Representatives AND the Governors of their respective states to let them know why the ACA and Medicaid are essential to people with disabilities and their families with the following MESSAGE:

ACTION 1:
Call, fax or e-mail your Senators and Representatives before February 27th. Every communication matters!

VARIATION ON WHAT TO SAY/WRITE:

“I am your constituent. I am a person with a disability (or I am a family member of someone with a disability or I am a professional in the disability field). Do NOT repeal the ACA without a replacement that maintains or improves coverage, protections and outcomes. Do NOT allow restructuring and cuts to Medicaid to be part of any ACA replacement. The ACA and Medicaid helps me/my family member to have health-care and/or community based services.

ACTION 2: CONTACT YOUR GOVERNOR’s OFFICE!

https://www.usa.gov/state-governor

Remind your Governor that cuts to the ACA and Medicaid would have a devastating impact across the state budget and why the ACA and Medicaid have been important to your well being or that of your disabled or senior family members, be it through premium support, drug-copay or deductible assistance.

ACTION 3: GET THE WORD OUT: SHARE THIS ON YOUR OWN FACEBOOK PAGE, REQUEST YOUR FRIENDS TO SHARE IT ON THEIR OWN PAGE.