Budget Alert: Medicaid and SCHIP Amendments on Senate Floor Wed. and Thurs.

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Dear Advocate,

The budget battle is now moving to the Senate floor. On Wednesday and Thursday (March 10 and 11), the full Senate is expected to vote on three key health amendments to the budget resolution. We need your action right away to help win these changes in the Senate resolution!

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Call both of your U.S. Senators now. Ask them to support all three of these important amendments:

(1) an amendment to “strike the ‘reconciliation instruction’†that will force an estimated $11 billion in Medicaid cuts over five years;

(2) an amendment that will allow Congress to consider legislation later this year providing extra help to the states for Medicaid. This legislation will continue last year’s increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage or FMAP. It will provide for a revenue-neutral provision (meaning Congress will have to find a way to pay for it, such as by closing a tax loophole) that could extend essential help to the states and permit them to avoid some major Medicaid cuts this July 1, when the temporary FMAP increase enacted last year is set to expire; and

(3) an amendment to ensure that State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) money that is not being used in certain states can be reallocated to states that have shortfalls and kids on waiting lists instead of reverting—unused—to the Treasury. This amendment will ensure that $1.2 billion allocated to certain states that have not been able to use all the money is sent in whole or in part to the many states who do not have enough SCHIP money. This amendment could help provide health care to hundreds of thousands of children in very low-income families.

WHY IT MATTERS: Please call your Senators soon: If we can’t win these issues in the budget process, we basically have no hope for health improvements for the rest of the year. We don’t yet have the names of the specific Senators who will be offering each of these amendments—that’s still being worked out. As soon as we have names, we’ll send them to you. But you do not need the names of the amendment sponsors to make the call: Offices will understand the issues!

We will probably see the House Budget Committee proposal tomorrow evening (Tuesday the 9th) or Wednesday and will send you details then. It is expected to be worse than the Senate Budget proposal. A good showing on these Senate floor amendments will strengthen the hand of the Senate in negotiating with the House on their deeper cuts!

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