February 20, 2025 Advocacy Alert
Congress Proposes Deep Medicaid Cuts, Act Now to Protect HCBS for Older Adults!
February 20, 2025
Snapshot
(A 30-second read for busy people)
- Last week, House and Senate Republicans advanced competing budget resolutions with both proposing detrimental cuts to Medicaid. The resolutions direct the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Senate Finance Committee, which have jurisdiction over Medicaid, to cut nearly $900 billion and $1 billion in federal funding respectively. These proposed cuts put older adults and people with disabilities at risk of losing coverage and critical home and community-based services (HCBS) under Medicaid.
The Senate may advance their proposal this week, with the House voting on their own version next week. It is unclear whether either proposal has enough votes to pass because Democrats have expressed strong opposition and moderate Republicans have raised concerns about the size of the cuts to this and other safety net programs. - Action Needed: Call and email your Senators and Representatives TODAY. We’ve provided template letters and sample social media posts so you can remind Congress of how critical Medicaid funding is to the older adults and people with disabilities you serve!
Republicans Propose Detrimental Cuts to Medicaid
Last week, the House and Senate Budget Committees advanced their respective, but competing, FY 2025 budget resolutions. While a budget resolution does not have the force of law, it can direct other committees to cut or increase spending or alter the tax code. To advance their bold proposals with a narrow majority, Republicans in Congress intend to use a budget process called reconciliation, which bypasses the Senate's filibuster rule, making it possible to make these significant changes with only the support of 51 Senators.
Senate Budget Committee Republicans passed their budget resolution last week, which includes instructions for two separate reconciliation packages, with one bill focusing on immigration and defense and the other on spending and taxes. The Senate proposal directs the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid, to find $1 billion in funding cuts, posing a risk to Medicaid HCBS programs and the older adults that rely on them.
The House is taking a single, massive reconciliation bill approach, and the House Budget Committee approved its budget resolution last week. This proposal would direct $880 billion in cuts to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid. The proposal's future remains uncertain because it faces strong opposition from Democrats, and House Republicans have a razor-slim majority.
The Senate could vote on their proposal as early as this week while the House is on recess, with a floor vote expected upon their return next week. It is imperative to help Members of Congress understand the detrimental impacts of Medicaid cuts on the populations you serve—they need to know how these cuts would leave older adults and people with disabilities without the supports and services they need to remain living in the community.
Take Action Now
STEP 1: Email and call your Senators and Representatives urging them to oppose any cuts to Medicaid! Use our template to get started, and be sure to customize them to your agency/community. Contact their DC and district offices; email addresses and phone numbers can be found on the House Directory and Senate Directory.
There is no such thing as too much communication with Members of Congress; keep reaching out until we get the protection needed for Medicaid HCBS!
STEP 2: Engage your provider network. Urge your vendors/providers, advisory board members and other important stakeholders to send their own emails to their Senators and Representatives. Please do all you can to amplify the message and engage others who understand the value of Medicaid HCBS to older adults and people with disabilities in your community and state. Forward this Alert to your networks or edit it to be best received by your agency’s advocates.
STEP 3: Share on social media. Beyond engaging your Senators and Representatives directly, everyone needs to know how important Medicaid HCBS is to the health and well-being of millions of older adults. Draw more attention to this critical issue by posting on social media! Any and all communication about Medicaid can put us one step closer to protecting Medicaid HCBS for older adults and people with disabilities. See below for sample language you can adapt into social media posts. If posting on X, please ensure your message is within the platform’s 280-character limit by shortening the sample post as needed.
Last week, the House and Senate Budget Committees advanced their respective, but competing, FY 2025 budget resolutions. While a budget resolution does not have the force of law, it can direct other committees to cut or increase spending or alter the tax code. To advance their bold proposals with a narrow majority, Republicans in Congress intend to use a budget process called reconciliation, which bypasses the Senate's filibuster rule, making it possible to make these significant changes with only the support of 51 Senators.
Senate Budget Committee Republicans passed their budget resolution last week, which includes instructions for two separate reconciliation packages, with one bill focusing on immigration and defense and the other on spending and taxes. The Senate proposal directs the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid, to find $1 billion in funding cuts, posing a risk to Medicaid HCBS programs and the older adults that rely on them.
The House is taking a single, massive reconciliation bill approach, and the House Budget Committee approved its budget resolution last week. This proposal would direct $880 billion in cuts to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid. The proposal's future remains uncertain because it faces strong opposition from Democrats, and House Republicans have a razor-slim majority.
The Senate could vote on their proposal as early as this week while the House is on recess, with a floor vote expected upon their return next week. It is imperative to help Members of Congress understand the detrimental impacts of Medicaid cuts on the populations you serve—they need to know how these cuts would leave older adults and people with disabilities without the supports and services they need to remain living in the community.
Take Action Now
STEP 1: Email and call your Senators and Representatives urging them to oppose any cuts to Medicaid! Use our template to get started, and be sure to customize them to your agency/community. Contact their DC and district offices; email addresses and phone numbers can be found on the House Directory and Senate Directory.
There is no such thing as too much communication with Members of Congress; keep reaching out until we get the protection needed for Medicaid HCBS!
STEP 2: Engage your provider network. Urge your vendors/providers, advisory board members and other important stakeholders to send their own emails to their Senators and Representatives. Please do all you can to amplify the message and engage others who understand the value of Medicaid HCBS to older adults and people with disabilities in your community and state. Forward this Alert to your networks or edit it to be best received by your agency’s advocates.
STEP 3: Share on social media. Beyond engaging your Senators and Representatives directly, everyone needs to know how important Medicaid HCBS is to the health and well-being of millions of older adults. Draw more attention to this critical issue by posting on social media! Any and all communication about Medicaid can put us one step closer to protecting Medicaid HCBS for older adults and people with disabilities. See below for sample language you can adapt into social media posts. If posting on X, please ensure your message is within the platform’s 280-character limit by shortening the sample post as needed.
- Americans who rely on Medicaid for health care and long-term care could face reduced access to critical services under both House and Senate budget proposals. Medicaid is a lifeline for older adults, and over seven million older adults rely on Medicaid for support with activities of daily living such as bathing and dressing, which allows them to remain living at home. Please contact your Representatives today to protect Medicaid HCBS for older adults! [LINK to USAging’s or your agency’s alert]
- Act NOW! America’s older adults are at risk of losing Medicaid coverage and access to critical HCBS services. As Republicans advance budgets that include potential cuts to Medicaid, we urge you to educate lawmakers on how critical Medicaid HCBS is to the health and well-being of older adults and people with disabilities across the country. Please contact your Representatives today to protect Medicaid! [LINK to USAging’s or your agency’s alert]
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If you have questions or concerns about this Advocacy Alert or USAging’s policy positions, please contact the USAging Policy Team, Amy Gotwals, Olivia Umoren and Seth Ickes at policy@usaging.org.
If you have questions or concerns about this Advocacy Alert or USAging’s policy positions, please contact the USAging Policy Team, Amy Gotwals, Olivia Umoren and Seth Ickes at policy@usaging.org.