Republican proposals to reduce the federal government’s contributions to Medicaid are all cuts — they are just taking different forms, according to experts participating in a briefing Thursday.
Kevin Prindiville, executive director of consumer advocacy group Justice in Aging, said that proposals to reduce federal Medicaid spending fall into two categories: cutting federal funding by implementing block grants or per capita caps, lessening states’ federal medical assistance percentage or restricting provider taxes; or cutting enrollment or services by establishing work requirements or repealing regulations on minimum requirements.
“There’s not a scenario where these policies, if adopted, do not lead to cuts to services for people that rely on Medicaid, including and especially older adults,” Prindiville said. “There’s simply no way to cut Medicaid at the levels that are being discussed without impacting millions of older people who rely on the program.”
