Act Now for Medicaid Families
{info via Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law:}
Last night, as a result of a widespread effort by mental health professionals across the country, "lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to urge House negotiators to strike Medicaid cuts from the final budget resolution."
"The House voted 348-78 to approve Representative John Spratt’s (D-SC) motion to instruct the members charged with reconciling differences between the Senate and House budget resolutions (conferees) to reject indiscriminate Medicaid cuts. The motion also urges House conferees to accept the formation of a bipartisan Medicaid reform commission called for by the Senate’s budget resolution. House approval of the motion is a major victory against roughly $20 billion in indiscriminate cuts to the Medicaid program, the single most important source of financing for mental health services."
However, "House conferees may still ignore instructions in the Spratt motion and opt for cuts to the Medicaid program and other programs important to people with mental or psychiatric disabilities. Congress Daily reports that the final budget resolution now being hammered out by House and Senate negotiators contains $10 billion in Medicaid cuts and $7 billion in additional cuts to programs many people with disabilities depend on, such as the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), child care, foster care and adoption assistance programs, and the Social Services Block Grant."
That's $17,000,000,000 worth of cuts to Medicaid and other programs for needy families. That means that up to a million families in need of mental health and related services will be left behind. Without adequate mental health care, SSI, TANF, child care, and child welfare services this nation will experience a meteoric rise in unemployment, crime, and broken homes.
"The House may consider the final budget resolution as early as this morning. Please call the Capitol switchboard now at 202-224-3121 [or click here for other contact information] to be connected to your Representative and urge him or her to reject any budget resolution that would undermine opportunities for Americans with mental or psychiatric disabilities to lead independent and successful lives in the community. Once you’ve been connected with your Representative’s office ask to speak with the Legislative Assistant handling the budget resolution."
"- Medicaid cuts would be disastrous for people with mental illnesses. Medicaid is the single most important source of financing for mental health services in America.
- Reductions in SSI would have a disproportionately harmful effect on people with mental disabilities, many of whom rely on these programs to help make ends meet. People with mental illnesses make up more than a third of Americans who receive SSI.
- TANF is a critical means of support for people with disabilities. Adults who receive TANF benefits are three times more likely to have at least one physical or mental health impairment than adults who do not receive benefits under the program."
For those of you who haven't yet acted, know that it's a lot easier than you've built it up in your mind to be. The people at the other end of the phone are not smarter than you, they're not savvier than you. They're just people, and their role is to listen to what you have to say and communicate it to your representative. So take the plunge. Contact your representative right now. It'll take you seven minutes, and you'll walk around with an attractive rosy afterglow for the rest of the day.
Go get 'em, advocates.
posted by Gordon D. Smith, LPC @ 28.4.05
<< Home