Cape May HSAC votes to send letter opposing proposed federal Medicaid cuts

The Cape May County Human Services Advisory Council voted March 5 to send a letter to the county's federal delegation opposing proposed reductions to the Medicaid program included in the draft federal budget. The motion was made during the HSAC's administrator report discussion and carried after a second.

HSAC Coordinator Sabrina Hand said the proposed federal budget reportedly includes cuts to Medicaid and asked the council whether it wished to send a letter to federal representatives advocating against reductions. Provider Donna Groome offered to provide statistics on the number of Cape May County residents receiving Medicaid, and Member-at-Large Sarah Matthews said she believed a letter noting the county impact could be helpful in efforts to maintain funding. Provider Joe Faldetta moved to have HSAC write the letter, and Matthews seconded; the motion carried.

The council did not record a roll-call vote in the meeting minutes; the packet notes only that the motion carried. Hand said she would circulate publicly available Medicaid statistics via a link and would distribute the presentation slides and related materials to attendees. The HSAC did not specify further content, timing, or signatories for the letter during the meeting.

The decision is advisory: HSAC is a county advisory council that can send letters and recommendations; any change to federal Medicaid funding depends on the federal budget process and actions by Congress. The council's action is limited to drafting and sending its opposition request to federal representatives; the federal budget proposal and any final appropriations remain subject to congressional approval.

Meeting context: the motion arose during the administrator's report, which covered contracting and budgeting issues for the HSAC office. The meeting was held virtually and lasted about 42 minutes; the Medicaid motion was one of the substantive decisions recorded in the minutes.