Delgado Votes to Condemn Administration Proposal to Block Grant Medicaid

Press Release

Today, U.S. Representative Antonio Delgado (NY-19) voted to pass a resolution opposing the Administration's attempts to cap federal Medicaid reimbursements which would limit access to care among low-income populations.

"Access to quality, affordable health care is one of the most critical issues we face in upstate New York," said Delgado. "The Administration's proposed Medicaid block grant waiver authority could cause millions across the country to lose coverage, and it would hurt our rural hospitals, families seeking opioid addiction treatment for their loved ones, and seniors with long-term care needs. Giving states broad authority to limit Medicaid spending for certain low-income residents would invite states to push Medicaid recipients off of lifesaving medicines, impose unaffordable premiums to maintain coverage, and leave more vulnerable families exposed to catastrophic medical bills. Today, I voted to oppose these attempts to cut Medicaid and I'll keep working to protect health care access and pre-existing conditions for families across New York's 19th District."

Late last month, the Administration announced a new waiver authority, referred to as the "Healthy Adult Opportunity," that would allow states to receive a waiver to block grant their Medicaid programs for adults in the expansion population. The waiver undermines crucial protections of the Medicaid program and gives states broad authority to scale back important beneficiary protections, restrict eligibility standards, and limit access to prescription drugs.

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