New Activities Part of Protect Our Care’s $10 Million “Hands Off Medicaid” Campaign
Washington, D.C. — After Republicans voted to decimate Medicaid, Protect Our Care is continuing its $10 million “Hands Off Medicaid” campaign to defend Medicaid from the Republican-led plan to slash funding to pay for another round of tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations. In addition to releasing new state-by-state fact sheets, Protect Our Care will work with partners to host virtual and in-person events with members of Congress, storytellers, and experts centered around Medicaid and the people who rely on it. The activities will also include digital campaigns, paid ads, and new research.
Protect Our Care’s new fact sheets outline how Medicaid is a lifeline for 70 million Americans across the country and how any cuts will have devastating consequences. As a result, millions – including working folks, children with disabilities, expectant mothers, and seniors in nursing homes – could lose critical health care coverage while rural hospitals have to shut their doors. Read the fact sheets here.
“Health care for every single one of the 72 million people relying on Medicaid is at risk,” said Protect Our Care President Brad Woodhouse. “These are our neighbors, children, parents, and grandparents. If Republicans in Congress succeed in cutting Medicaid, the results will be swift and catastrophic. Seniors in nursing homes will be kicked out, rural hospitals will close, parents will have to quit work and struggle to take care of their disabled children, costs will skyrocket, and the list goes on. We will all pay the price.”
The theme weeks are as follows:
- March 10 – 14: Medicaid Expansion: Medicaid expansion covers almost 21 million Americans, improving people’s health, keeping hospitals open, increasing families’ financial security, and saving lives.
- March 17 – 21: Economic Impact: Medicaid cuts will create a $50 billion hole in state budgets, forcing them to raise taxes, cut other parts of their budget such as K-12 education, or make steep cuts to Medicaid eligibility and benefits.
- March 24 – 28: Rural America: Medicaid is a vital source of coverage for people across rural America, who are more likely to lack insurance, experience negative health outcomes, and have more barriers to accessing care.
April: Medicaid Awareness Month:
- March 31 – April 4: Seniors: Over 8 million seniors across America rely on Medicaid for affordable and essential health care. It helps seniors age with dignity and independence and lightens the load of working families struggling to get by.
- April 7 – 11: People with Disabilities: Medicaid covers 45 percent of non-elderly adults with disabilities, including adults with physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, and brain injuries.
- April 14 – 18: Communities of Color: Over 60 percent of those covered by Medicaid are people of color. Altogether, Medicaid provides coverage for 36.9 million non-elderly Americans of color across the nation.
- April 21 – 25: Opioid Crisis & Mental Health: Medicaid is the single largest payer for mental health services in America, serving 26 percent of all adults living with a serious mental health condition. Medicaid is crucial to building a system of comprehensive substance use disorder treatment. These interventions have been vital and life-saving.
- April 28 – May 2: Moms and Kids: Medicaid provides the care for over 40 percent of births and other maternal care such as prenatal visits, ultrasounds, and screenings. It also covers nearly half of all American children, including children with special needs, foster youth, and children of color.