MomsRising Issues Statement on Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Plan to Change Medicaid Funding

BELLEVUE, Washington, Jan. 30 -- MomsRising, an online and on-the-ground organization of more than 1 million mothers and their families, issued the following statement by Executive Director and CEO Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner on the announcement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that it plans to change the funding structure and allow states to gut Medicaid:

"Under the guise of flexibility and innovation, the Trump administration this morning unveiled guidance that would radically alter Medicaid and allow states to weaken coverage and end crucial protections for people who rely on this program for their health care. We are not fooled. The country's moms recognize this for what it is: An immoral and brazen attempt to take health care away from people who need it by gutting Medicaid, ending its guarantee of coverage, and allowing states to put millions of vulnerable people at risk of losing the health care they need.

"In addition, it is Congress--not the Trump administration--that has the power to change Medicaid's financing structure. This new guidance is a back-door, illegal attempt to accomplish by fiat what the administration failed to do in 2017 when Republicans in Congress and President Trump attempted to take health care away from millions of people.

"The impact of this guidance would be devastating to those already struggling to make ends meet and with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Women, communities of color, families in rural communities, people with disabilities, the elderly, babies, and children rely on Medicaid the most, and 63 percent of adults enrolled in Medicaid are women. Nearly half of the babies born in the United States are covered by Medicaid, which also covers 70 percent of costs for people who are elderly and in long-term care. Cuts to Medicaid are cuts to the health of women, our children, and our elderly parents.

"Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act has expanded access to care and improved or saved millions of lives. This initiative would take us in the opposite direction, going where even the Republican Congress has thus far refused to go. America's moms will fight night and day to defeat it."

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America's families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women -- particularly moms and women of color -- and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamasConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org -- and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.