Last month in this column, I suggested that Medicaid should be kept intact to support the needs of the people who rely on the program. As I reflected, I realized that this is only partially true.
It is true that for the over 64.5 million Americans who participate in the program, access to the services that Medicaid funds can be the difference between life and death.
But it is equally true that Medicaid is a lifeline and an economic driver for entire communities.
Community health service providers rely on Medicaid funding for a large portion of our budgets. For instance, my organization, Community Connections, provides access to long-term, community-based services for over 1,000 children and adults with disabilities in Southwest Colorado. More than 50% of our funding comes through Medicaid.
Our community partner Axis Health System serves more than 17,000 residents of Southwest Colorado with services such as primary health care, oral health, behavioral health and crisis support. Axis reports that over 40% of its funding comes from Medicaid.
Hospitals, rural health care clinics, behavioral health providers and long-term services for older adults and people with disabilities would all disappear from our region without sufficient Medicaid funding. This would leave all Southwest Colorado residents, not just Medicaid members, with limited access to critical health care.
Medicaid also supports a large workforce. A recent report from the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health estimates that almost half a million U.S. jobs are at risk because of proposed Medicaid cuts.
Locally, hundreds of doctors, nurses, certified nurse assistants, home health aides, direct care workers, case managers, job coaches, therapists, family caregivers and other health care providers are employed through Medicaid funds. These workers are living, purchasing goods and services, and paying taxes in Southwest Colorado. The loss of those jobs would devastate our local economy.
Additionally, Medicaid helps people work. Preventive medical care and early and ongoing treatment of illness help people stay healthy enough to maintain their jobs and contribute to their communities. It also funds programs that support people with disabilities to find and maintain employment.
Cutting Medicaid does not solve problems. Cutting Medicaid doesn’t address the high costs of health care in the U.S. Cutting Medicaid doesn’t eliminate fraud; the accountability and oversight of Medicaid and Medicare programs is higher than most private programs. Cutting Medicaid doesn’t save money; it shifts the burden to states, medical providers and local communities.
It is difficult to quantify where Medicaid saves our community and our country money because those savings are spread across so many industries and services. But we know that Medicaid is an essential component of our health care ecosystem that includes government funding, private payors, foundations and private insurance. This fragile ecosystem cannot endure the loss of such a major contributor.
Last month, I asserted that without Medicaid, people suffer. Allow me to amend that statement: Without Medicaid, entire communities suffer.
Let’s ensure that our national leaders understand the importance of our nation’s Medicaid program. #MedicaidMatters.
Tara Kiene is president/CEO of Community Connections Inc.
