WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new analysis released today by the National Partnership for Women & Families and Justice in Aging reveals congressional plans to cut $880 billion from Medicaid spending amounts to cutting off benefits for nearly 4.8 million recipients ages 65 and older annually. This analysis comes on the heels of the House GOP passing a budget resolution that sets up the possibility for massive cuts to Medicaid. These cuts would deeply impact women of color, disabled women and older veterans. Of these nearly 4.8 million people:
- Nearly 60 percent – 2.8 million – are women.
- More than 1.3 million older women of color would lose benefits, including 462,900 Black women, 512,900 Latinas, 238,000 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander women, and 18,300 American Indian/Alaska Native women.
- Nearly 1.7 million disabled women ages 65 and older would lose benefits
- Nearly 448,000 older veterans, including 29,500 women, would lose benefits
- We also find that women account for most seniors receiving Medicaid in every state. Older Medicaid recipients are especially likely to be women in Alabama, Connecticut, New Jersey and Maine.
The report also cites the harm that massive Medicaid cuts will cause to the health care workforce and the economy. Direct care workers, such as home health aides and nursing assistants, not only frequently rely on Medicaid for their health insurance, it also supports their livelihood. The House majority proposal to cut $880 billion from Medicaid could pay the salaries of more than 1.9 million full-time personal care providers annually. Cuts to Medicaid could end up costing workers their jobs and harming local economies.
“Medicaid has been an essential guarantee and a promise that no one, regardless of income or station in life, age or disability, will be denied life-saving care that would allow them to live out their lives in dignity,” said Sarah Coombs, Director of Health System Transformation for the National Partnership for Women & Families. “For sixty years, Medicaid has delivered on that promise and it is unconscionable that the Republican Congress and the Trump Administration now plans to end that promise and undermine the health and welfare of millions of Americans and the economic well-being of their communities.”
“Many people think of Medicare when it comes to healthcare for seniors, but Medicaid is also incredibly important for older adults, especially for long-term care benefits that Medicare does not provide,” said Gelila Selassie, Senior Attorney at Justice in Aging. “Medicaid covers nearly 2/3 of nursing home residents and allows older adults to receive long-term care services in their home. Millions of low-income older adults also rely on Medicaid to cover Medicare premiums and out of pocket costs. Cuts to Medicaid are a cut to the health, safety, and security of seniors and their families.”
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