As Congress debates GOP-led efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act many are concerned about how funding Medicaid may be affected. This week, consumer groups held a teleconference to voice their concerns about Medicaid funding.
Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid funding by states is matched by the federal government dollar for dollar. That system would change in 2020 under the Republican proposed American Healthcare Act.
Families USA is a healthcare consumer-focused organization that held a teleconference this week voicing strong concerns about the GOP plan, which would change cap federal spending on Medicaid.
Dee Mahan is Director of Medicaid Initiatives at Families USA, She says moving to a so-called “per capita cap” would add more uncertainty for states when it comes to Medicaid funding.
“The consistent and reliable state support we have in Medicaid today is something that states don’t have to fight for year after year. They have formulas they can rely on the structure has allowed states to improve their residents health care status,” says Mahan.
Michael Miller is Director of Strategic Policy with Community Catalyst, another consumer-focused healthcare group. He says “per capita caps” are less flexible for states because set amounts cannot keep up with rising costs to Medicaid.
“Per capita caps don’t respond to things very well like the aging of population and the growing need for long term care. It doesn’t respond to things like the opioid epidemic or H1N1 or any other kind of sudden increase in the medical costs and the deterioration of the population’s health status,” says Miller.
New Mexico is one of the 31 states that expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act, and according to a recent legislative finance committee accountability report on Medicaid, as of January, 2017, there were 898,000 people covered under Medicaid in New Mexico.
The Human Services Department projects that number will rise up to 920,000 by June of this year.
