The U.S. Senate’s Better Care Reconciliation Act puts comprehensive health care for 1.2 million
Minnesotans at risk by cutting federal funds for Medicaid and MinnesotaCare by
billions of dollars over the coming years.
Who will be affected? Minnesota children, seniors, people
with disabilities and those in need of chemical and mental health services.
We
at the Minnesota Department of Human Services are analyzing the Senate bill,
which was released this morning. The Senate bill and the American Health Care
Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives on May 4, have similar
provisions and similar cuts to Medicaid and MinnesotaCare, with some
differences.
We
will share new information about the Senate bill and its progress in the coming
days.
Meanwhile, our updated
analysis of the House bill finds the Act would mean:
-
Threats to health care for
seniors and people with disabilities. Two-thirds
of the Medicaid funding lost due to new caps on spending would affect
these Minnesotans. Approximately 2,700 children with disabilities are
helped by Medical Assistance (Minnesota's Medicaid program) through the
TEFRA option, which allows families with higher incomes to buy into Medicaid.
-
Massive cuts to Medicaid and
MinnesotaCare, putting the health care of 1 in 5 Minnesotans at risk.
The proposed federal funding
cuts would grow over time, reaching $11.4 billion by 2025. The $1.6
billion in federal funding lost in 2021 alone is roughly equal to the state cost
of covering the more than 700,000 children, pregnant women and parents
currently on Medicaid in 2018.
Medical Assistance covers health care for
42 percent of Minnesota children and 42 percent of
births.
If these bills become law, we risk moving backward.
- During an unprecedented
increase of substance use in our state, cuts in federal funding threaten
the state’s ability to respond to this crisis.
- Many Minnesota farmers receive their health care through MinnesotaCare, allowing them to fill our tables and fuel our economy. Cuts in federal funding threaten their health care coverage.
Read the latest analysis,
find fast facts and interactive maps.
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