Tomorrow, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will meet to consider the budget reconciliation legislation released last night. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, this bill would reduce the number of people with health insurance by at least 8.6 million, with many more expected to lose coverage. That amounts to at least 1 in 10 people who currently rely on Medicaid for their health care.

As currently drafted, the proposed changes to the Medicaid program will be severely damaging to health center solvency and create impossible financial and health care challenges for patients. Because community health centers are required by law to serve all patients, no matter their coverage status or ability to pay, they will be doubly impacted by substantial reductions in Medicaid coverage and funding. We also have serious concerns that the broad changes included in this bill will harm local economies and worsen rural health access.

Health centers are proud to be our country’s largest network of primary and preventive care, providing high quality care to more than 32 million patients. More than half of patients served by health centers are covered by Medicaid. Health centers are historically good stewards of Medicaid funds and have been shown to create savings in the health care system in the billions. Changes that both reduce coverage levels and squeeze state budgets would impose severe burdens on health centers and seriously hinder their ability to maintain the level of care they currently provide.

As such, Advocates for Community Health calls on the Energy and Commerce Committee to reject this legislation.

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About Advocates for Community Health
Established in 2021, Advocates for Community Health (ACH) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit membership organization of community health centers dedicated to forward-thinking and ambitious federal policy and advocacy on behalf of health centers, their patients, and their communities. To learn more, visit advocatesforcommunityhealth.org.