Right now, millions of Americans are at risk of losing health coverage as state-level GOP elected officials across the country push to kick people off Medicaid. These are lower-income folks who desperately need public coverage to access medical care. Without Medicaid, seniors, people with disabilities, people with pre-existing health conditions, and many others won’t be able to afford care.
The Biden Administration has the power to increase oversight in states that are kicking off eligible families and hold them accountable for it. With millions of Americans at risk of losing their public health insurance, the Biden Administration must act.
Sign the petition to the Biden Administration: Protect Medicaid recipients from GOP governors and state lawmakers trying to strip their health coverage away.
This year, Speaker Kevin McCarthy and congressional Republicans tried (again) to repeal the Affordable Care Act and defund Medicaid. A move that could have seen 100 million folks lose coverage, an average increase of $1,000 in medical debt for millions, and 7 million seniors and people with disabilities receiving lower quality home care.1
In 2022, Congress voted to end the continuous expansion of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which covered millions of additional people under Medicaid. That expansion ended in the spring and required that all states do a review of residents on Medicaid.2
So far, five states have moved to kick families off Medicaid: Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, New Hampshire, and South Dakota, with more states to follow by October of this year. Some states, many controlled by GOP lawmakers, are clearly rushing this process to kick as many people off of Medicaid as possible — even people who are eligible to receive Medicaid.3 Imagine, after years of receiving public health coverage at no cost, the state strips coverage away, giving millions of people a choice between getting the care they need, paying rent, going into debt, and feeding their families.
The Biden Administration has the ability to be more strict with states during this review process and make sure that families are protected.
Sign the petition and demand that the Biden Administration increase oversight on states and protect millions from getting kicked off Medicaid.
Sources:
- The White House, “FACT SHEET: The Congressional Republican Agenda: Repealing the Affordable Care Act and Slashing Medicaid,” February 28, 2023.
- The Commonwealth Fund, “Congress Can Give States the Option to Keep Adults Covered in Medicaid,” November 14, 2022.
- The Associated Press, “Millions who rely on Medicaid may be booted from program,” March 10, 2023.