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Medicaid and Seniors: What’s at Stake in the Budget Debate

By: Howard Bedlin, National Council on Aging Comments: 2

This summer, Congress is under enormous pressure to find a way to reduce the federal deficit—and Medicaid has become a prime target for cuts.

National advocacy groups are now coming together to protect this vital program for our most vulnerable citizens—and we need your help.

Why is Medicaid so important? 

  • Medicaid is the nation’s health care safety net for poor seniors, children, and people with disabilities—who often cannot advocate for themselves.
  • Medicaid pays for about 62% of our nation’s long-term care costs, including both nursing home care and in-home services.
  • Medicaid helps pay Medicare premiums for almost 5 million low-income seniors who otherwise could not afford them.

Last week, I participated in a briefing on Capitol Hill where I talked to Hill staffers about what’s at stake for Medicaid and seniors in the current budget debate. The briefing was organized by the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, and more than 100 people attended.

Watch the short videos below to learn why we must protect Medicaid—and not reduce the deficit on the backs of  vulnerable, low-income seniors.

Then write your Senators and urge them to oppose any measures that would harm Medicaid. You can send an email to your Senators using this action alert. 

   

Presentation slides:

 

Howard Bedlin is the Vice President for Public Policy and Advocacy for the National Council on Aging. He is responsible for all of NCOA's federal and state legislative advocacy efforts on issues and programs of concern to older adults, which include the Older Americans Act, Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care, income security, and community services programs.

Before joining NCOA, Mr. Bedlin was a legislative representative with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) for more than 10 years. Before that, he had been the deputy director of government affairs for the National Association for Home Care and served as counsel for public policy for the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.

Mr. Bedlin received both his law degree and master's degree in public policy science from the University of Maryland.

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Comments on this Post

  • Florida's Legislature has proposed a disastrous Medicaid Reform Plan that requires individual enrollees to pay a $10/Month fee and a $10/visit fee as well as a $100 Emergency Room Charge. If they do not pay these outrageous fees they can be dropped from the proposed Managed Care Program. This is in direct conflict to the basic intent of Medicaid to cover our most frail and vulnerable economically challenged citizens. These people are at, or near, the POVERTY Level! This plan is unethical and immoral and must be stopped prior to gaining any traction.
    Elder Care Advocacyof Florida has contacted HHS/CMS recarding this obscene measure. We have also had ourAssociates call our Legislators as well a meeting with the state-wide listening sessions and called upon our congressional members for assistance in defeating this ill conceived program.
    It is ujnAmerican to exzact humdreds of millions of dollars from our most frail and vulnerable members of our civilized society.
    Please join us in this fight before it spreads to other States.
    Austin R. Curry, Executive Director
    Elder Care Advocacy of Florida     Austin R Tampa, FL
  • I am a social worker, Service Coordinator in a senior apartment complex. These residents rely heavily on their Medicaid and Medicare benefits. It would be a sin and a shame for congress to abandon our seniors at this time in their lives. Jo Ann Columbia, SC