A shortage of common sense

These days, Washington politicians are talking a lot about the national deficit. Unfortunately, there’s a surplus of hot air, and a shortage of common sense.

Several proposals to cut the deficit would put the Medicaid program at risk. And putting Medicaid at risk puts the health of millions of seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income children at risk too.

In recent weeks, some in Congress have backed proposals that would cut federal spending on the program and shift the cost and the burden of Medicaid to the states. There is even legislation moving through the House to allow states to cut eligibility for the vulnerable people who rely on Medicaid for their health care.

What’s missing from all of these proposals? Not one of them addresses the underlying problem—the growth of health care costs. Instead, Congressional proposals to cut Medicaid would push costs onto states that then will push them onto seniors, people with disabilities, and America’s families—people who can least afford it. That’s not common sense.

Seniors and people with disabilities would be disproportionately harmed by these cuts. Although most seniors and many people with disabilities are enrolled in Medicare, many of them also rely on Medicaid. For them, Medicaid pays for things Medicare doesn’t cover—like the costs of long-term care.

To assess the human impact of proposed Medicaid cuts on the 16 million seniors and people with disabilities who need support for long-term care, Families USA produced the report, Cutting Medicaid: Harming Seniors and People with Disabilities Who Need Long-Term Care. This report is accompanied by reports for each state, which help to explain the harm these cuts would bring to people in different states.

We need common-sense solutions to solve our deficit problem. The best solutions will involve shared sacrifice—including reconsidering tax cuts for millionaires. We should not push the burden of deficit reduction onto those least able to bear it—our nation’s seniors and people with disabilities.