Dear Health Advocates,

Congress is in recess and members are back in district this week after the Senate passed the six-month stop gap funding bill to fund the government through September 30th. As we mentioned last week, this bill does not impact mandatory spending for Social Security, Medicaid or Medicare. However, by not increasing federal funding, it serves as a funding cut because of increased inflation. 

Separately, as you know, the budget reconciliation process threatens to cut $880 in critical Medicaid funding, which will result in health care coverage losses. But our advocacy is not making this process easy. While the House and Senate are in recess this week, we must continue to encourage members of Congress to reject ANY cuts to Medicaid and hold them accountable to their word to do so. This week, there are a few opportunities to engage, including a sign on letter to Senate leadership that closes Thursday evening and our brand new Health Action Resources List. These opportunities are listed below:

• For Organizations

  • NEW! Health Action Resources

  • Sign On Letter: Urge Senate Leadership to Protect and Defend Medicaid!
• For Individuals
  • Reminder that you can join Families USA and email your members: Medicaid Defense Email Writing Campaign.
  • Use hashtags #HandsOffMedicaid or #HandsOffOurMedicaid on social media.

Finally, to celebrate the ACA turning 15 on March 23, we are marking the occasion with a blog post and paper detailing what's currently at stake for this critical program. Keep an eye out for that in the coming days, and be sure to  check out our ACA advocacy resources here and here.

Action Items

• UPCOMING DEADLINE: Families USA Sign On Letter: Urge Senate Leadership to Protect and Defend Medicaid!
• URGENT! Families USA Email Writing Campaign: Protect and Defend Medicaid
• URGENT! Families USA Email Writing Campaign: Urge Congress to Take Action on Advanced Premium Tax Credits!
• TAKE ACTION: Submit your patient story on hospital pricing abuses to [email protected]
• TAKE ACTION: Join Our Health Justice Now Network

New Resources

• NEW! Families USA Health Action Resources
• NEW! Protect Our Care Resource: March Recess Packet
• NEW! Families USA Report: Medicaid Cuts Would Rip Away Health Coverage from Millions of Americans, Disproportionately Harming People of Color

FUSA in the News

• NEW! Ethnic Media Service quoted Anthony Wright, executive director, as a result of his participation in a press briefing convened by leading civil rights and health equity organizations, including Families USA: Congress Considers $800 Billion Medicaid Cut, Putting Healthcare In Jeopardy for Millions of Working Families (as a result of a press briefing convened by 11 civil rights and health equity organizations, including Families USA)
• NEW! Inside Health Policy quotes Families USA’s sign-on letter calling on Congress to address health care affordability: MGMA: Doc Fix Unlikely This Year If GOP Punts It To Reconciliation
• NEW! McKnights Senior Living mentions Families USA as a organization that has been speaking out against Medicaid cuts - CMS nominee Oz won’t rule out Medicaid cuts

Health Equity

• Families USA Insights: Over 65 million Women Are Counting on the FDA to Maintain Access to Mifepristone

• Families USA Insights: Transforming Care: Addressing Health Inequities and Pitfalls through Innovative Models of Care

• Families USA Analysis: Charting the Course for Community Health Workers: Identifying Challenges and Opportunities to Secure Medicaid Reimbursement for CHWs in State Medicaid Programs

Health Care Value

• Families USA Amicus Brief: Families USA Joins Public Citizen Amicus Brief to Defend Cost-Free Preventive Services
• Families USA Fact Sheet: Lay of the Land: Primary Care, Provider Payments and What’s Next
• Families USA Policy Agenda: Consumers First Legislative Agenda 2025: Policy Solutions for the 119th Congress to Drive Value into the U.S. Health Care System
• Families USA Testimony: New York State Site Neutral Payment Bill
• Families USA Affordability Agenda: Making Health Care Affordable: Reining In Health Industry Abuses To Lower People’s Costs and Generate Budget Savings

Health Coverage

• Families USA Fact Sheet: Medicaid Work Reporting Requirements: Bureaucratic Burdens That Threaten Working Families, Providers and Local Economies
• Families USA Video: Ensuring Accountability: A New Era in Medicaid Managed Care Oversight
• Families USA Policy Agenda: Achieving Transparency, Accountability and Quality in Medicaid Managed Care: A State and Federal Policy Agenda
• Medicaid 101 Fact Sheet and Handout: Medicaid Matters: To People, Our Economy and the Health Care System

Thank you for your tireless advocacy as we continue fighting for the best health and health care for all of America's families. To connect on shared advocacy efforts or let us know what you would like featured in upcoming Resource Roundups, please respond to this email or reach out at [email protected]! 

Have a great week,

Nate Keller

Partnerships Mobilization Associate

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