May 2023

Watch the Event Here. 

Washington, DC — Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06), and the National Council on Independent Living’s Theo Braddy joined Protect Our Care for a press conference to discuss how the end of the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement especially impacts people with disabilities. During the event, speakers discussed how governors must follow the Biden-Harris administration’s guidance and do everything in their power to ensure that people counting on Medicaid do not lose coverage due to burdensome paperwork and red tape. 

Congress passed legislation at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to protect access to Medicaid by ensuring no one could be disenrolled during the public health emergency. This provision expired on April 1, and an estimated 15 million people are at risk of losing coverage. Medicaid covers 45 percent of nonelderly adults with disabilities – that’s 10 million people, including people with physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, and brain injuries. Medicaid is also an important source of coverage for people with mental health and substance use disorders. 

In addition to the challenges from Medicaid unwinding, House Republicans recently passed their Default on American Act, threatening health coverage for 21 million people and creating more administrative burdens for states as they work on redeterminations of Medicaid eligibility. The bill also includes radical cuts to vital health care programs, including veterans’ health care, nursing home safety, mental health services, and more. 

“Medicaid is vital for millions of people,” said U.S. Senate Aging Committee Chairman Bob Casey (D-PA). “Over 9 million people with disabilities are covered by Medicaid, and 72 percent of children could lose their Medicaid or CHIP coverage as the continuous coverage provision ends, even though they are still eligible. I want to impart an urgent message to people across the country enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP—make sure you get informed, make a plan for health care enrollment, and visit Medicaid.gov to find resources to maintain your coverage.”

“Every American has the right to quality, affordable healthcare, period,” said U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06). “But currently, millions of Americans are at risk of losing coverage due to the unwinding of the Medicaid continuous enrollment provision. We cannot allow people to slip through the cracks and lose critical coverage simply because they don’t have the right paperwork or don’t know what steps to take to work through the red tape. And it’s especially vital that individuals with disabilities have the support they need to navigate this challenging transition.”

“People with disabilities are more likely to have health issues that require them to use healthcare services at a significantly higher rate than those without disabilities – especially Black, Indigenous, and People of Color with disabilities, having experiences of lower socio-economic status and greater lack of availability to quality healthcare services,” said Theo Braddy, Executive Director of the National Council on Independent Living. “The continued enrollment policy of the pandemic made it possible for people with disabilities to rely on Medicaid as their primary health care coverage and to get better, more consistent healthcare that resulted in better health care outcomes. States need to actively reach out to older adults and people with disabilities who may be disenrolled and work to connect them with other providers such as managed care providers.”

“Medicaid is facing existential threats. The Republican ‘Default on America’ bill, the latest GOP attack on health care, could rip Medicaid coverage away from 21 million people. Medicaid unwinding could result in 15 million people losing coverage. It is the responsibility of every state and every governor to be sure that those at risk from Medicaid unwinding who qualify for Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act stay covered,” said Leslie Dach, Chair of Protect Our Care. “People with disabilities are at particular risk of falling through the cracks and losing their coverage due to paperwork and red tape. It is critical to understand what’s at risk here – the families, people who are working hard every day, people with disabilities, children, moms who rely on Medicaid could lose access to basic health care.”

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Peter Welch, U.S. Representatives James E. Clyburn, Jan Schakowsky, Gwen Moore, Steve Cohen, Hank Johnson, Judy Chu, Nanette Barragán, Steven Horsford, Shontel Brown, Don Davis, and Dan Goldman Headline Events Across the Nation.

April was the fifth annual Medicaid Awareness Month, and Protect Our Care hosted nationwide events to recognize the crucial role Medicaid plays in Americans’ health care and highlight how recent Republican attacks come at a time when more Americans are relying on the program than ever before. A record 92 million Americans are enrolled in Medicaid, which provides affordable care to people from all backgrounds, especially people with disabilities, people with mental health and substance use disorders, children, pregnant women, seniors in nursing homes, rural Americans, and people of color. But Republicans haven’t stopped their attacks, they just passed their extreme “Default on America” Act attempting to rip away health care for 21 million people who rely on Medicaid, and cutting critical health programs by 22 percent. Medicaid has strengthened local economies, provided Americans with access to quality, affordable health care, and improved health outcomes across the country.

Throughout the month, Protect Our Care also released a series of fact sheets on how Medicaid is a lifeline for women and children, communities of color, and rural Americans, as well as fact sheets covering states’ unwinding process,  Republican threats to Medicaid, and the “Default on America” Act.

Medicaid Awareness Month 2023 included the following theme weeks:

• Week 1: Republican threats to Medicaid. Week one focused on how Republicans are actively seeking cuts to Medicaid while GOP leaders in 10 states continue to block Medicaid expansion. 
• Week 2: Medicaid helps women and kids. Week two brought attention to the vital role of Medicaid for mothers and children across the country. 
• Week 3: Medicaid helps people of color and rural Americans. Week three highlighted how Medicaid is a critical tool to expand access to coverage, which together with policies that address other social and structural determinants of health, narrow stark disparities in health care, improve families’ financial security, and make people healthier.
• Week 4: Medicaid helps seniors and people with disabilities. The final week focused on how Medicaid helps seniors and people with disabilities access lifesaving care.

NATIONAL

Monday, March 20 — U.S. Representatives and Tri-Caucus Chairs Nanette Barragán, Judy Chu, and Steven Horsford, joined civil rights leaders and Protect Our Care for a press conference releasing a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) calling for state and federal action to keep families in America covered as Medicaid’s continuous coverage requirement ends. The letter stresses the importance of states meeting their obligations to ensure that millions of people in America do not lose critical health care coverage, and calls on HHS to clearly define and enforce states’ legal obligations. You can watch the full event here.

Coverage:

• Colorado Boulevard: Call for HHS Secretary Becerra To Protect Medicaid Coverage During “Unwinding”
• Congressional Black Caucus: Caucus Chairs Call for HHS Secretary Becerra to Protect Medicaid Coverage and Access to Health Care During “Unwinding”

Tuesday, April 11 — Democratic Women’s Caucus Communications Task Force Co-Chairs Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI-04) and Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH-11), and President of the National Partnership for Women & Families Jocelyn Frye joined Protect Our Care for a press conference to discuss the ways Medicaid helps women and children across the nation stay healthy. U.S. Representative Shontel Brown (D-OH-11) said, “Women of color consistently experience higher maternal mortality rates than white women primarily due to the intersection of multiple socio-economic factors, including generations of health inequities, and quite simply, institutional and structural racism. Expanding Medicaid and closing the coverage gap is a key element to improving maternal and reproductive health, especially for women of color.” You can watch the full event here.

Coverage:

• Bloomberg Law: House Democrats Push Back on GOP Proposals Targeting Medicaid

Thursday, April 13 — U.S. Representatives and Co-Chairs of the Medicaid Expansion Caucus, Steve Cohen (D-TN-09), Hank Johnson (D-GA-04), and Don Davis (D-NC-01) joined Protect Our Care for a press conference discussing the urgency for the remaining 10 non-expansion states to follow North Carolina’s lead and finish the job to extend coverage to the estimated 1.9 million Americans in the coverage gap. During the call, the speakers discussed how expansion has never been more important as states face threats of major coverage losses due to the ongoing Medicaid unwinding. You can watch the full event here.

Coverage:

• New York Amsterdam Times: Health Advocates Warn Against Medicaid “Unwinding” Process
• WNCT: Congressmen Talk About Benefits of Medicaid Expansion in NC
• 95.5 WSB: Rep. Hank Johnson Joins a Renewed Push to Expand Medicaid, Including in Georgia

Thursday, April 20 — Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, House Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn, and Joan Alker with the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy joined Protect Our Care to discuss Republicans’ radical plan to take health care away from millions of Americans. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy released the Republican plan to slash health care funding and Medicaid enrollment by imposing burdensome paperwork requirements. “The fact is Americans working in modestly-paid jobs often aren’t given affordable health care coverage by their employers,” said Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR). “Sometimes they’re working two or three part-time jobs. What House Republicans are essentially asking of these people, who are already on an economic tightrope, is to go out and fill out a mountain of paperwork every single month to maintain their health care. We ought to be looking at approaches that help people get more for their health care dollar.” You can watch the full event here.

Thursday, April 27 — Senator Peter Welch (D-VT), Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), and Nicole Jorwic, Chief of Campaigns and Advocacy at Caring Across Generations join Protect Our Care to discuss the Republicans’ ongoing threats and radical plan to cut Medicaid and take health care away from millions. The House Republicans recently passed the Republican plan which imposes cuts in key programs, including slashing health care and other vital discretionary funding and taking Medicaid away from millions by imposing burdensome paperwork requirements in exchange for not defaulting on the nation’s debt. You can watch the full event here.

ARIZONA

Monday, April 3 — PHE Medicaid Unwinding Event with HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, Governor Katie Hobbs, and Arizona Health Care Advocates: Secretary Becerra virtually joined a panel of Arizona health leaders at Ability 360 to discuss efforts to expand access to quality health care, strengthen Medicaid, and promote equity. Additionally, on site, Navigators were available  to update contact information for community attendees. “Because we know from many people who have never had insurance, or never known that they have access to insurance through programs like Medicaid, that oftentimes they don’t know how to navigate the system, they don’t know what they’re entitled to. And they end up not getting the coverage even though they could,” said Secretary Becerra.

Coverage:

• ABC15: Thousands in AZ Lose Medicaid Coverage
• AZ Family (CBS Channel 3 & 5): AZ Residents Losing Medicaid Coverage 
• WLOX (Mississippi): AZ Residents Losing Medicaid Coverage 
• KSAZ-PHX (FOX): Becerra Joins AZ Health Leaders to Discuss Medicaid PHE Unwinding
• KTAZ-TV (Telemundo): Becerra Joins AZ Health Leaders to Discuss Medicaid PHE Unwinding
• KTAR Radio: Becerra Joins AZ Health Leaders to Discuss Medicaid PHE Unwinding 
• NBC 12 News: Arizona Residents at Risk of Losing Medicaid Coverage
• Tucson Sentinel: Arizona begins to shed thousands from Medicaid, push them to other care
• Arizona Capitol Times: State begins to shed thousands from Medicaid, push them to other care
• The Daily Courier (Prescott): Arizona begins to shed thousands from Medicaid, push them to other care
• Cronkite News: State begins to shed thousands from Medicaid, push them to other care

GEORGIA 

Tuesday, April 25 — Medicaid Awareness Month Event with HHS Regional Director Antrell Tyson, House Minority Leader James Beverly, Dr. Karen Kinsell, and Georgia Health Care Advocates: Minority Leader James Beverly, HHS Regional Director Antrell Tyson, Georgians for a Healthy Future Executive Director Laura Colbert and Dr. Karen Kinsell, a rural healthcare provider, joined Protect Our Care Georgia to highlight the value of Medicaid and access to health care for Georgians. “The GOP continues to push for reduced health care for the most marginalized members of our population including black and brown people, low-income wage earners, and the elderly. Their approach is one that strips away care from our most vulnerable citizens,” said Representative James Beverly, Minority Leader in the Georgia House of Representatives. “Speaker McCarthy and his counterparts continue to mock democracy by underserving the people. Their health care “plan” will only burden health providers, worsening our health care crisis.” Speakers noted a similar attitude toward Medicaid playing out in Georgia, one of 10 states that hasn’t fully expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, choosing instead to pursue a limited expansion which includes a work requirement. “It is a myth that scores of Georgians are enrolled in Medicaid while actively choosing not to work” said Laura Colbert, Executive Director of Georgians for a Healthy Future. You can watch the event here.

Coverage:

• Capitol Beat: Georgia’s Medicaid redetermination process gets rolling 
• WABE-FM: Health Advocates Concerned Georgians Could Lose Medicaid Coverage
• Rome News Tribune: Georgia’s Medicaid redetermination process gets rolling
• WABE-FM: Groups are working to help low-income Georgians avoid losing Medicaid during ‘unwinding’

NEW YORK

Thursday, April 27 — Medicaid Awareness Month Event with Congressman Dan Goldman: Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) joined Protect Our Care New York to highlight that House Republicans from the New York delegation voted for the “Default on America Act” legislation that rips away health care from as many as 21 million people who count on it. Congressman Goldman highlighted how Republicans, like Rep. George Santos (NY-03) and Rep. Mike Lawler (NY-17), are attacking Medicaid and access to health care as more Americans are relying on the program than ever before. Medicaid has strengthened local economies, provided New Yorkers with access to quality, affordable health care, and improved health outcomes across the state. “New Yorkers need to get out there and make their voices heard and make sure that every Republican member of the New York delegation who voted for this bill has to be held accountable,” said Congressman Goldman. “They’re voting to cut veterans’ care, they’re voting to cut child care, they’re voting to cut assistance for seniors, they’re voting to cut health care, they’re voting to cut food benefits and job programs. People rely on getting these benefits and services to subsist. It’s really emblematic of where Republican’s values are.” You can watch the event here.

Coverage:

• Brooklyn Daily Eagle: Brooklyn’s Rep. Goldman Fights to Protect Medicaid Recipients

VIRGINIA

Saturday, April 15 — Health Care and Medicaid PHE Unwinding Roundtable with State Delegates and Virginia Health Care Advocates: Protect Our Care Virginia joined Virginia state legislators and the Virginia Young Democrats to host a health care roundtable on how we can move forward in our fight to protect and strengthen health care in the face of escalating attacks on vital health care programs that millions of Virginians rely on. Happening during Medicaid Awareness Month, topics this panel discussed are threats to health care access including the recent Braidwood decision that guts the Affordable Care Act’s provision guaranteeing free preventive health care for 150 million Americans, recent rulings limiting access to mifepristone, the impacts of Medicaid unwinding in Virginia, and Republicans attacks on affordable health care. You can watch the event here.

Thursday, April 27 — Medicaid PHE Unwinding Event with Delegate Mark Sickles and Virginia Health Care Advocates: Delegate Mark Sickles and health care advocates joined Protect Our Care Virginia to highlight the current threat to the health care coverage of more than 300,000 Virginians, as Medicaid begins a process called “unwinding.” This event also follows House Republicans passing legislation that rips away health care from as many as 21 million people who count on it, and speakers highlighted how Republicans in Congress are attacking Medicaid and access to health care as more Virginians are relying on the program than ever before. “This is a great challenge for America, not just Virginians, who deal with this unwinding after the public health emergency,” said Delegate Mark Sickles, the former Chair of the Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee in the Virginia House of Delegates. “We need to make sure we are spending this money [for Medicaid] effectively, efficiently and get as close to universal coverage as we can, under this system we have now. So that is what we are working to do.” You can watch the event here.

Coverage:

• Blue Virginia: Video: Delegate Sickles, Health Advocates Discuss Medicaid Unwinding and GOP’s Ongoing Threats following House Passage of Legislation to Take Away Health Care
• Dogwood: House GOP Passes Bill That Would Take Food and Healthcare From Virginia Families
• Cape Charles Mirror (an outlet on the Eastern Shore of Virginia) Medicaid’s impact on rural Americans
• WVTF: Advocates worry thousands of Virginians could lose health insurance as pandemic rules come to an end
• Virginian-Pilot: An estimated 350,000 people will lose Medicaid coverage as Virginia resumes eligibility review

PENNSYLVANIA

Tuesday, April 26 — Morning Call Op-Ed on Medicaid by Action Together NEPA’s Kristin Volchansky on Medicaid: Protect Our Care Pennsylvania placed an opinion piece in the Morning Call by Kristin Volchansky, an advocate with Action Together NEPA, speaking out against proposed Medicaid cuts and the need to expand the program. “April is Medicaid Awareness Month, and while Medicaid provides access to care and financial security to more Americans than ever before, Republicans in Congress are threatening Medicaid by seeking severe cuts in budget negotiations. They are trying to impose burdensome paperwork requirements that could result in people losing coverage even when they are still eligible. Millions of people — seniors, people with behavioral health issues, people with disabilities, moms, children and so many more who rely on this program — could see their health care ripped away under the GOP plan,” Volchansky writes. You can read the full op-ed here.

WISCONSIN

Monday, April 17 — As Goes Wisconsin Radio Show with Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Sarah Rodriguez, North Carolina State Representative Sarah Crawford, and Protect Our Care Wisconsin: Lieutenant Governor Sarah Rodriguez was joined on As Goes Wisconsin by North Carolina State Representative Sarah Crawford to discuss the importance of expanding Medicaid, and highlight lessons from the North Carolina state legislature, which recently approved Medicaid expansion, extending affordable health care to 600,000 North Carolinians. Lieutenant Governor Rodriguez highlighted how Wisconsin could bring $4 billion into the state by expanding BadgerCare, money that Republican lawmakers continue to leave on the table, despite overwhelming support for expansion.”The vast majority of Wisconsinites want us to expand BadgerCare – that includes Democrats and Republicans. We should be doing what the people of Wisconsin want, and that is expanding BadgerCare. It’s time to bring those federal dollars home.” You can listen to this segment of As Goes Wisconsin here. 

Thursday, April 27— Medicaid Awareness Month Event with Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez and Wisconsin Health Care Advocates: Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez joined Protect Our Care Wisconsin for a roundtable discussion to highlight the value of Medicaid and access to health care for Wisconsinites. Speakers callED on state Republicans to finally fully expand Medicaid to bring billions of our tax dollars back to the state and provide an additional 90,000 Wisconsinites with access to quality, affordable health coverage. “It’s long past time for Wisconsin to finally take a leap forward and expand BadgerCare,” said Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez. “Expanding BadgerCare would not only provide healthcare coverage to nearly 90,000 Wisconsinites, including about 30,000 who are currently uninsured, but it would also help us draw down more than $2 BILLION in federal funding and save our state more than $1.6 BILLION over the biennium.” You can watch the event here.

Coverage:

• UpNorthNews: House GOP Passes Bill That Would Take Food and Healthcare From Wisconsin Families