Stay up to date on the latest news and legislative alerts in mental health law: Email   ZIP For RSS readers

Near-Final Medicaid Cuts Would Dissolve Healthcare Safety Net

Calls to Congress Needed Now

December 12, 2005—Congress is about to prepare –most likely this week– a final conference report for the budget reconciliation bills passed by both houses (S. 1932/H.R. 4241). House and Senate versions differ starkly in their approach to meeting the savings target in the budget resolution passed earlier this year.

Cuts to Medicaid in the House version would dissolve the safety net for millions of beneficiaries who rely exclusively on the program to cover health or mental health services. The Senate version would be less harmful to low-income people.

For more information about the proposed Medicaid changes, read an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: http://www.cbpp.org/12-9-05health.htm

Please Act Now

Tell Your Senators:

Reject the House bill (H.R. 4241), which imposes severe cost-sharing and benefit reductions.

• The House proposal to remodel Medicaid benefits on private insurance plans would greatly reduce children’s access to mental health coverage, which they now have through Medicaid’s Early and Periodic, Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT). It would also deprive many adults who have mental disorders of access to critical community-based services.
• The House plan to increase co-payments and charge Medicaid premiums would leave some of our poorest and sickest citizens unable to seek necessary treatment until they are forced to use emergency rooms.
• The House limits on coverage of Medicaid targeted case management services (TCM) would undermine the ability of children and adults with mental illnesses to obtain the comprehensive array of services they need in the community.

Tell Your Representative:

Ensure that the final budget reconciliation report does no harm to people who rely on Medicaid for health or mental health care. Reject H.R. 4241 and its provisions that impose cost-sharing and benefit reductions. Accepting the House bill would:

• remodel Medicaid benefits on private insurance plans, greatly reducing children’s access to mental health coverage, which they now have through Medicaid’s Early and Periodic, Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT). It would also deprive many adults who have mental disorders of access to critical community-based services.
• increase co-payments and charge Medicaid premiums, leaving some of our poorest and sickest citizens unable to seek necessary treatment until they are forced to use emergency rooms.
• limit coverage of Medicaid targeted case management services (TCM), undermining the ability of children and adults with mental illnesses to obtain the comprehensive array of services they need in the community.

Target These Members of Congress Today!

If you are a constituent of any of these members of Congress, please call immediately!