policy
Letter of Support to Senator Warner and Representative Green for Medicaid Expansion Legislation
The Association for Community Affiliated Plans applauds your leadership in introducing the States Achieve Medicaid Expansion Act and H.R.4588, the Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2017, respectively, to provide additional time for states to expand Medicaid coverage to their low-income populations.
ACAP represents 56 safety net health plans that operate in 24 states and serve more than 15 million Americans in the Medicaid, CHIP, Medicare Advantage D-SNPs, and the qualified health plans under the health insurance exchanges. Our health plans’ primary and historical mission is to serve low-income and aged, blind, and disabled Americans who rely on Medicaid for their health coverage. Our close relationships with the safety net provider community – federally qualified health centers, public hospitals, and others – means that safety net health plans are in a unique position to provide this population with cost-effective and comprehensive care coordination and care management services.
Unfortunately, as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision in NFIB v. Sibelius to negate a mandatory Medicaid expansion and instead give states the choice to expand Medicaid to their people, 19 states have yet to expand Medicaid. This decision has left more than XX million Americans without needed health coverage. This is particularly devastating because these Americans are ineligible for tax credits to allow them to buy coverage in the health insurance exchanges.
Fortunately, as time has passed since the ACA’s enactment, more states have sought to expand Medicaid and ACAP believes that all states will eventually recognize the value of the program and expand it to their residents. That is why your legislation is so important – continuing to offer the ACA’s financial incentives to states to expand keeps 2 open the option for millions of Americans to get health care coverage that they would not otherwise receive. That is why we support your vital legislation.
Thank you again for your leadership in this important effort. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of any assistance to you