Washington, D.C., February 1, 2006
– "The American Public Health Association today is deeply disappointed that a narrow majority of members of the House of Representatives voted to approve a spending cuts package that includes approximately $5 billion in net cuts from the invaluable Medicaid program as part of the conference report of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. These harmful cuts show that our national priorities are misplaced and deliver a crippling blow to the most vulnerable Americans.
"Members of the House of Representatives today ignored the evidence and their constituents and voted for a bill that derives its ‘savings’ from harmful provisions that threaten to imperil the health status and coverage of millions of Americans who depend on Medicaid for their basic health needs. The $5 billion in net cuts to Medicaid in the conference report will be overshadowed by the bill’s consequences—current Medicaid beneficiaries joining our nation’s uninsured ranks, children not having access to the medical and preventive services they need and, like which has been seen in Medicare Part D, Medicaid beneficiaries not being able to afford the prescription drugs they need to maintain or improve their health.
"Further evidence of the dangers of the funding cuts was recently presented in a recent Congressional Budget Office report which determined that under the Deficit Reduction Act, 13 million beneficiaries (20 percent of Medicaid beneficiaries) will face higher co-payments for medical services other than prescription drugs by fiscal 2015. Nine million of these beneficiaries, including about 4.5 million children, will face co-payment charges for the first time. The dangers of these co-payments are staggering—that Medicaid beneficiaries will forego needed health care and prescription drugs because they simply cannot afford it. We cannot support any legislation that jeopardizes the health of our youngest residents, as in addition to facing co-payments, the bill limits the access of children to essential periodic screening, vision, dental, hearing and mental health services currently guaranteed to them by the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) program.
"We staunchly opposed this bill that curtails funding where it is most needed instead of achieving savings in other areas that would not jeopardize the health of the most vulnerable. We praise the House members who voted against such a debilitating measure and moved in favor of ensuring the well-being of millions of Americans and protecting the public’s health."