“These cuts would be devastating,” Jeff Dieringer, political and research strategist for SEIU 1199 WV/KY/OH, said Wednesday in Dayton. SEIU 1199 represents local workers at the Stillwater Center and Mercy Health - Springfield Regional Medical Center.
While politicians debate whether or not cuts to Medicaid will happen under the Republicans' goal of $4.5 trillion in tax cuts over the next decade, analysts say the math doesn’t add up without cuts to Medicaid, even if Medicaid isn’t mentioned in the proposal.
“We’re just urging the Congressmen to say no to these cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security,” Dieringer said.
The federal House Committee on Energy and Commerce has to find a way to cut the deficit by at least $880 billion over the next decade, but, excluding Medicare, Medicaid accounts for 93% of the funds that committee manages, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
If the committee cuts all of its programs besides Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), those cuts only add up to $381 billion. If Medicare cuts are off the table, big cuts to Medicaid will be needed to achieve $880 billion in savings, according to KFF, health policy research organization.
“When you dig down and you do the math, there’s just no absolute way that they can find over $4 trillion that they have to cut,” Dieringer said. “Specifically, the committee that oversees Medicaid is directed to cut $880 billion, and there’s just not really much else there besides Medicaid.”
Republicans in Congress have reiterated commitments to social services like Medicare and Medicaid, saying they believe they can make up for those cuts by cutting government waste.
“The White House has made a commitment. The president said over and over and over, ‘We’re not going to touch Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid.’ We’ve made the same commitment,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson last month on CNN.
The Dayton Daily News reached out to Turner’s office for a comment on the protest. Turner’s staff continues to meet with constituents who have concerns with issues pertaining to federal programs, a spokesperson said.
Credit: Brendan O'Hara
Credit: Brendan O'Hara
While Turner did not make a direct comment on potential cuts to Medicaid in the future, Turner recently reintroduced a bill that would allow people in jail to retain their Medicaid benefits while awaiting trial.
“Ensuring access to necessary medical care for individuals awaiting trial is not just a matter of fairness—it’s a matter of public safety and fiscal responsibility,” Turner said last month about the Due Process Continuity of Care Act.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
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