Sign-on Letter to Senate Opposing Tax Bill

Dear Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Schumer:

The undersigned organizations are writing to express our strong opposition to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and our deep concerns about its effects on the health care of older adults, people with disabilities and their families. Our organizations share a commitment to promoting access to affordable, high quality health care and long-term services and supports for older adults, people with disabilities, and their families, and this tax package will endanger that goal.

The tax bill Congress is considering would increase the national debt by at least $1 trillion, even after accounting for potential economic growth. The bill would also drive up the yearly deficit through tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthiest Americans and large corporations. This is likely to lead to drastic cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and other programs on which older adults rely. Any significant funding cuts to Medicaid would jeopardize health and long-term care for the more than 6 million low-income older adults who rely on Medicaid. In addition, significant Medicare cuts would shift costs on to beneficiaries, endangering the more than 57 million older adults and people with disabilities who rely on the program for high-quality care. Over 11 million people have both Medicaid and Medicare, and those people would be especially devastated by any such cuts

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