Statement from the Medicare Rights Center, the Center for Medicare Advocacy, and Justice in Aging on Passage of

Devastating Cuts to Health and Nutrition Programs

Washington, DC—We condemn Congress’s rushed and reckless vote to pass legislation that slashes Medicaid, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and SNAP food assistance. These cruel and irresponsible cuts put access to care, health coverage, and healthy food at risk for millions of older adults and people with disabilities, working families, caregivers, and children, and will drive up health care costs for everyone—all to fund tax breaks that disproportionately benefit people with the highest incomes while ballooning the national debt.

The people our organizations serve are at grave risk of losing access to the services and supports they need to live safely in their homes and communities. The bill causes 17 million people to lose their health coverage, green lights unsafe nursing homes, burdens Medicare, Medicaid, and ACA enrollees with red tape and administrative hurdles, takes Medicare away from thousands of lawfully present immigrants who have paid into the system for decades, undermines Medicare’s ability to negotiate the prices of certain drugs, eats into Social Security checks for people with low incomes, and puts future Medicare funding at risk by creating budget shortfalls that will automatically trigger draconian cuts—$45 billion in 2026 alone. Over 51,000 additional people will die each year—including 18,000 low-income Medicare beneficiaries—as a direct result of this harmful bill.

As organizations concerned about access to affordable, quality health care and long-term services and supports, we will continue to fight for policies that help people meet their basic needs and thrive. We will hold members of Congress accountable for their actions today and ensure the public does not forget.

https://www.medicarerights.org/media-center/statement-from-the-medicare-rights-center-the-center-for-medicare-advocacy-and-justice-in-aging-on-passage-of-devastating-cuts-to-health-and-nutrition-programs