Protecting Our Health Care Safety Net
Op-Ed
April 28: Protecting Our Health Care Safety Net
Dear Friends:
Last week the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to protect and strengthen the Medicaid program, which provides vital health care coverage for 52 million low-income, disabled and elderly Americans. By a veto-proof margin of 349 to 62 (including 221 Democrats and 128 Republicans), the House rejected President Bush's attempt to gut federal funding for Medicaid at a time when millions of Americans are at risk of losing their health insurance.
President Bush's proposal would have slashed the federal contribution to Medicaid by as much as $18 billion over the next five years. While the President claimed that these cuts were only intended to trim waste and abuse, the real impact would be to shift the burden of Medicaid funding onto already cash-strapped state governments. State opposition to the President's plan was unanimous, with all 50 governors backing the House effort to block these cuts.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, fully half of low-income U.S. children receive Medicaid coverage, and the program provides long-term support for 44% of Americans living with HIV/AIDS. While the program is administered by individual states, the federal government provides a crucial 57% of funding.
During President Bush's time in office, seven million more Americans have lost their health insurance, bringing the total number of temporarily or permanently uninsured to over 50 million - one in six Americans. At the same time, an additional 5 million Americans have fallen into poverty. As our economy struggles, even more people will lose coverage, while our broken system continues to drive up costs and hurt the quality of care. We desperately need a new approach to health care that gets more people covered, not less. Congress will continue to defend affordable health coverage for the poorest Americans until we have a President who is willing to work with us to achieve health care for all.
Sincerely,
Betty McCollum Signature
Congresswoman Betty McCollum
Serving Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District
The Week Ahead
First Economic Stimulus Payments to Be Delivered
Today, April 28, U.S. taxpayers who filed for direct deposit rebates on their 2007 tax returns will begin to receive their economic stimulus payments. For those who did not use direct deposit, the first printed stimulus checks will go out on May 9. To find out whether you will receive a stimulus payment and calculate the amount you will receive, click here. To find out when you will receive your payment, click here.
House Votes on Final Passage of Genetic Non-Discrimination Act
As genetic science explodes in the 21st century, safeguards are need to ensure that people are not discriminated against based on genetic conditions they carry from birth, such as a predisposition to heart disease or breast cancer. This week, the House will consider the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 493), which would forbid insurance companies from refusing coverage based on an individual's genetic predispositions, and prohibit employers from considering genetic information in employment-related decisions. Click here to learn more.
Last Week's Highlights
Rep. McCollum Speaks at Bethesda Hospital Anniversary Celebration House Passes Small Business Innovation Bill
Last Wednesday, a broad bipartisan majority approved legislation to modernize and expand the Small Business Innovation Research Program. H.R. 5819 will increase and improve grants for small businesses to pursue cutting-edge research and technology development, especially in the areas of alternative energy and rare diseases. Click here for details.
Rep. McCollum Speaks at Bethesda Hospital Anniversary Celebration
On Friday, Bethesda Hospital celebrated its 125th Anniversary. Rep. McCollum was invited to speak as a strong congressional supporter of the hospital's work, including its nationally recognized program to treat returning Iraq War veterans with traumatic brain injuries.
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