Today I'm posting about an issue that affects people with disabilities in DC (and nationwide), as well as many others who rely on Medicaid for healthcare coverage - moves are underway on the Hill to cut federal Medicaid funding to some states (and DC).
Councilmember Henderson gave an excellent summary of what we may be up against in her most recent newsletter:
Watching on the Hill - As Congress hammers out their next steps on budget and reconciliation, there is one phrase all Washingtonians should get familiar with – FMAP, the federal medical assistance percentage. Medicaid is jointly funded by the federal government and the states. FMAP is a formula to determine the federal government’s share for Medicaid expenditures using per capita income. In general, the federal government pays a larger portion of Medicaid costs in states with lower per capita incomes and vice versa for states with higher per capita income. No state can have a FMAP rate lower than 50% and higher than 83%. See here for the current FMAP rates for states. There are several proposals currently floating around Congress to reduce the District’s FMAP to 50%. This would fundamentally upend our public health system affecting hospitals, providers, and patients, as we would be required to pay more than any non-state. I’m writing about this because lot of people read this newsletter and I fear that the FMAP issue is going under the radar. The District does not enjoy the ability of having voting representation in the Congress, and right now, we need our allies!
Federal Medicaid matching also affects supports provided to people with disabilities, across the nation. So - especially to allies who read my blog and actually have senators and voting representatives on the Hill - help DC (and maybe your own state as well, because there are moves afoot to reduce ALL FMAP to 50%) - WRITE TO YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVE that you don't want them touching Medicaid!