WASHINGTON, DC | April 17, 2023
“Our organizations urge Congress to reject adding a ‘work requirement’ policy to the Medicaid program, recognizing this policy is a thinly veiled effort aimed at cutting and further restricting access to quality and affordable healthcare for millions of Americans.
“Our organizations represent more than one hundred million Americans living with serious, acute and chronic health conditions, including tens of millions who rely on Medicaid as their primary source of healthcare coverage. Many of our organizations have previously urged opposition to these policies, emphasizing that they do nothing more than result in significantly worsened health outcomes. If enacted, work requirements would also increase uncompensated care, further jeopardizing the financial stability of hospitals on which our patients rely and are the largest employers in many communities.
“To be clear: these requirements are not about work, they are about paperwork. In 2018, Arkansas imposed this paperwork requirement on people enrolled in Medicaid. Before a federal court halted the state’s efforts, thousands of individuals who were otherwise eligible for Medicaid lost their healthcare due to the onerous paperwork requirements, additional bureaucracy and red tape. An analysis by the Congressional Budget Office found that if a policy similar to the one tried in Arkansas was to be implemented nationwide, more than two million people would lose their coverage.
“Our organizations strongly oppose any policies that jeopardize coverage in the Medicaid program. We remain united in our work to protect Medicaid and the quality healthcare it provides and urge Congress to reject adding any additional barriers.”
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
American Lung Association
ALS Association
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
CancerCare
Chronic Disease Coalition
Crohn's & Colitis Foundation
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Epilepsy Foundation
Hemophilia Federation of America
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Eczema Association
National Health Council
National Hemophilia Foundation
National Kidney Foundation
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
National Organization for Rare Disorders
National Patient Advocate Foundation
Pulmonary Hypertension Association
Susan G. Komen
The AIDS Institute
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
WomenHeart
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The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy and research. The work of the American Lung Association is focused on four strategic imperatives: to defeat lung cancer; to champion clean air for all; to improve the quality of life for those with lung disease and their families; and to create a tobacco-free future. For more information about the American Lung Association, which has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and is a Platinum-Level GuideStar Member, call 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) or visit: Lung.org. To support the work of the American Lung Association, find a local event at Lung.org/events.
For more information, contact:
Jill Dale
312-940-7001
Jill.Dale@Lung.org
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