General Convention and Executive Council have urged the church at all levels to advocate for those living in poverty, with special attention to racial and gender justice. Of the non-elderly receiving Medicaid, six in ten are people of color and 57% are women. Medicaid also covers four in ten children (eight in ten children in poverty) and 41% of all births in the U.S. It is also the largest payer of services for those with mental health and substance abuse disorders.
The Medicaid program is a vital source of support for so many of our neighbors, and even small changes would be devastating. Imposing work requirements, for instance, would result in 36 million losing coverage, with no real increase in employment among those enrolled. Changing the way Medicaid is funded would wreak havoc on state budgets and force tax increases and a reduction in services.
Episcopalians have affirmed that healthcare is a human right. When individuals face an increased risk of suffering from preventable and treatable illnesses, barriers to employment due to untreated conditions, and experience a diminished quality of life, it harms families, communities, and generations. Brookings reports that children of low-income families have worse health than other children, a trend that grows as they age. These disparities lead to large gaps in education and future earnings. The social safety net, of which Medicaid is a vital part, is a major way we collectively care for one another, as Christ bids us to do.
Contact your representatives to tell them how important Medicaid is. Urge them to reject any cuts or changes to the program that would reduce the availability of healthcare for those most in need.
Additional Resources
How Weak Safety Net Policies Exacerbate Regional and Racial Inequality from the Center for American Progress
What Lies Ahead For Medicaid In Budget Reconciliation? from Health Affairs
Episcopal Church Resolutions
2018-C041: Advocate for Policies Supporting Nutrition, Healthcare, and Housing as Human Rights
2015-A093: Advocate for Balancing Federal Budget Priorities to Alleviate Poverty
2012-A135: Commit to Alleviating Poverty and Injustice
EXC022005.25: Reaffirmation of Commitment to Medicaid and Medicare