Members Warn $880 Billion in Proposed Medicaid Cuts Would Threaten Post‑acute Care Access
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Summary
House subcommittee witnesses and members told the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee that plans to cut $880 billion from Medicaid would sharply reduce access to post‑acute care, jeopardizing long‑term services for seniors and people with disabilities.
WASHINGTON — Members of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health and witnesses at a March hearing warned that Republican budget plans calling for $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid would undermine access to post‑acute care for seniors and people with disabilities.
"I don't believe you can talk about access to post acute care in America today without talking about Medicaid. It is the primary payer for this care," said Representative Lloyd Doggett, the subcommittee's ranking member, in his opening statement. He added that the budget plan would force many families to choose between crippling medical debt and loss of care.
Witnesses from advocacy groups and providers described Medicaid as the primary funding source for long‑term services and supports and said deep cuts would force states to scale back home‑ and community‑based services, nursing facility coverage and payments that support workers and providers. Eric Carlson, director of long‑term services and supports advocacy at Justice in Aging, told the panel that many older Americans rely on Medicaid for services Medicare does not cover and that proposed reductions would be “devastating for the people that rely upon it.”
Members on both sides cited local impacts. Representative Thompson warned that Medicaid reductions could force closures of rural long‑term care facilities, cost local jobs, and increase drive times for emergency care. Representative Chu described constituent stories of individuals who depend on Medicaid to pay for hip and spine surgery follow‑up and long‑term supports.
Subcommittee members and witnesses repeatedly stressed that Medicare alone does not cover long‑term daily supports and that Medicaid often pays Medicare cost‑sharing for low‑income beneficiaries. "Medicaid is the only thing that's available for them," Carlson said, summarizing the witnesses' testimony on how the programs interact.
The hearing included calls for congressional oversight and policy alternatives to preserve Medicaid's structure and funding. Several members urged maintaining or increasing funding for home‑ and community‑based services and workforce supports rather than making cuts that would fall heavily on vulnerable populations.
The subcommittee did not vote on any measure during the hearing. Members were allowed to submit additional questions for the record, and witnesses said they would continue to work with lawmakers on legislative options to protect access to post‑acute and long‑term care.
