Latest news with #Medicai
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Press conference advocates preserving Medicaid funding
May 13—DUNMORE — Nursing home careworkers and health care advocates held a press conference Tuesday in support of preserving Medicaid funding for the over three million Pennsylvanians just as Congress begins debating a federal budget that proposes significant cuts to the program, a move that health care workers said would "devastate the health economy" of NEPA. Representatives of Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents tens of thousands of other health care workers across the commonwealth, the Pennsylvania Healthcare Association, and Pennsylvania Health Access Network joined nursing home careworkers at the Dunmore Healthcare Center to speak out against the potential Medicaid cuts and discuss their impact on residents of the Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district, which includes a large portion of Luzerne County. According to AP News, the Energy and Commerce Committee reconciliation recommendations include at least $880 billion in cuts largely to Medicaid over the next 10 years. SEIU President Matt Yarnell said cuts to Medicaid would deal a sharp blow to health care centers, including nursing homes, that are already struggling with underfunding, widespread closures and workforce shortages. "These cuts will cause higher health care insurance costs, increased taxes, and less access to medical services for every resident. They would also force drastic reductions in other essential programs, widespread job losses and damage to local economies. This is a matter of life or death," Yarnell. According to data compiled by the state's Department of Human Services, of the 200,000 residents in the 8th congressional district that are enrolled in Medicaid, over 100,000 live in Luzerne County. Statewide, 59% of nursing home residents receive Medicaid benefits, along with 21% of adults under the age of 65. According to Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, an estimated 59% of children in the 8th congressional district are enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP. "Medicaid is a critical lifeline for vulnerable seniors, military veterans and people with disabilities, including five out of eight nursing home residents," Yarnell said. Yarnell and others spoke highly of Rep. Rob Bresnahan, who represents the 8th congressional district and has stated repeatedly that he opposes gutting Medicaid. Ahead of several House committee meetings Tuesday, Bresnahan on April 17, along with 11 other House Republicans, sent a letter to House Republican Leadership, reiterating their support for the program. "Balancing the federal budget must not come at the expense of those who depend on these benefits for their health and economic security," the letter stated. While the lawmakers said they acknowledged that "we must reform Medicaid" they also said potential cuts would "threaten the viability of hospitals, nursing homes and safety-net providers nationwide." The letter continued, "Many hospitals — particularly in rural and under served areas — rely heavily on Medicaid funding, with some receiving over half their revenue from the program alone. Providers in these areas are especially at risk of closure, with many unable to recover. When hospitals close, it affects all constituents, regardless of health care coverage." Lori Steeves, nursing home administrator for the Dunmore Healthcare Center, echoed similar concerns in her speech Wednesday, saying potential Medicaid cuts, "present an immediate threat to seniors, people with disabilities, and the health and economy of our entire commonwealth." "I want to be crystal clear. Nursing homes are already hanging on by a thread because of underfunding. We are constantly forced to make hard choices while we work to ensure safe staffing, quality of care for our residents, and the recruitment and retention of employees. There is zero excess or wiggle room for Pennsylvania nursing homes," she said. Lucy Hurst, a certified nursing assistant at Dunmore Health Care with 50 years of experience, said proposed cuts to Medicaid would be devastating to the residents she serves. "It makes me angry — really angry — that politicians are treating seniors and their loved ones with disabilities like they don't have any value to their life. It's all about greed and more greed. Politicians want to take away essential health care to give big tax breaks to the super-rich. I think it's disgusting and it's very un-American," said Hurst. In conclusion, she stated, "This matters to everyone in NEPA and our state because someday you or a loved one will need care through a nursing home or a hospital. We're all going to get old and fall ill at some point in our lives."
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Supreme Court takes up bid to defund Planned Parenthood
The battle over taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood takes center stage at the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday in a dispute over South Carolina's exclusion of the group from the state Medicaid program because it provides abortions. On the line is the ability of Medicaid beneficiaries to freely choose a healthcare provider, including physicians at Planned Parenthood who provide services other than abortion, like contraception treatments and cancer screenings. South Carolina's two Planned Parenthood clinics have served mostly low-income, minority women for more than 40 years. Hundreds of their patients are Medicaid recipients. The case also implicates the millions of federal dollars Planned Parenthood receives in the form of reimbursements for treating Medicaid patients each year. According to Planned Parenthood, 34% of its overall revenue, or $699 million, comes from government grants, contracts, and Medicaid funds. In 2018, South Carolina's Republican governor Henry McMaster issued executive orders disqualifying Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid reimbursements for non-abortion services. Julie Edwards, a Medicaid beneficiary and type-1 diabetic who sought medical care at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Columbia, SC, sued the state alleging a violation of the Medicaid Act, which guarantees a "free choice of provider" that is willing and qualified. "Medicaid beneficiaries often face significant barriers to obtaining care, particularly in South Carolina. Twenty-five percent of state residents live in medically underserved areas," the plaintiffs wrote in their brief to the high court. "[Congress] enacted the free-choice-of-provider provision to ensure that Medicaid patients, like everyone else, can choose their own doctor," they wrote. "Congress specifically enacted this provision in response to some States' efforts to restrict Medicaid patients' choice of provider." The state argues that Congress never intended to give individuals the right to sue over access to a particular provider and that there are plenty of other clinics available to serve Medicaid recipients. "Congress wanted states to have substantial discretion to innovate with their Medicaid programs," the state wrote in its brief to the high court. Allowing individuals to sue over access to specific providers would "subject the state to unanticipated (and expensive) lawsuits." While federal law already prohibits any government funding of abortions, South Carolina contends it has the right to target non-abortion funding to abortion providers. "Because money is fungible, giving Medicaid dollars to abortion facilities frees up their other funds to provide more abortions," the state told the court. "[Planned Parenthood] can restore Medicaid funding if it stops performing abortions— but it has chosen not to do so," South Carolina wrote. If the justices allow the suit to go forward, Edwards and Planned Parenthood can continue to challenge the clinics' exclusion from the state's Medicaid program in a lower court. If the justices side with the state, they would bolster efforts to cut off Planned Parenthood from sources of government funding and effectively limit the number of providers available to Medicaid recipients. A decision in the case is expected by the end of the Court's term in June. Supreme Court takes up bid to defund Planned Parenthood originally appeared on
