Quick signature: Tell Congress that everyone deserves to have health care coverage! *When you click, you’ll automatically sign on if we already have your information. TAKE ACTION

Dear Friend,

It’s unconscionable.

Even amidst a pandemic, there are still 12 states that have refused to expand Medicaid to low-income adults under the Affordable Care Act. The majority of the over 2 million people who are currently in this “coverage gap” in these states are people of color. [1]

Quick signature: Tell your members of Congress to pass a federal solution to close the Medicaid coverage gap! *When you click, you’ll automatically sign on if we already have your information.

What’s happening? Despite additional incentives for these 12 states to do the right thing and expand health coverage, state lawmakers have still refused to make sure low-income people in their states have access to health care when they need it. Uninsured adults in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming can’t wait any longer. We need a federal solution to close the health care coverage gap and take a crucial step toward advancing health equity.

Congress is currently considering a provision in the Build Back Better package that would permanently, quickly, and comprehensively close the coverage gap, which is “one of the single most important steps toward reducing persistent racial inequities in health care and health outcomes.” [2] The plan would cover people in two phases. First, beginning in January 2022, people who are stuck in the coverage gap in non-expansion states would receive premium tax credits to allow them to enroll in a health plan through the health insurance Marketplace. Then, in 2025, they would transition to a federally operated Medicaid program. [2]

The uninsured rates among Black and Latinx/Hispanic adults remains significantly higher than that of white adults, especially in states that have refused the expansion of Medicaid. [3] This disparity is largely reflective of economic inequities whereas white adults are more likely than Black and Latinx/Hispanic adults to get health coverage from their employers, as well as immigration policies that constrain coverage options for many people. [3]

Add your name! Tell Congress that everyone deserves to have health care coverage!

When you click, you’ll automatically sign on to our petition that reads:

Dear members of Congress,

Everyone, regardless of race, class, or zip code, deserves to have health care coverage. Despite making historic gains in health care coverage since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, there are still some people and communities who have been left behind. Fully 60% of uninsured adults in the 12 states that have refused to expand Medicaid are people of color. To improve the health and financial security of Black and Latinx communities, we need a federal solution to close the health coverage gap in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Closing the Medicaid coverage gap will help to address persistent racial inequities in health care and health outcomes, including our nation’s maternal health crisis. In fact, states that expanded Medicaid have seen a reduced rate of maternal death, particularly for Black women. This is a critical moment to step up and advance health equity. Please support closing the Medicaid coverage gap in the Build Back Better package.

Don’t forget to sign on! Tell Congress to close the Medicaid coverage gap in the Build Back Better package.

The more people who speak out, the bigger our impact. Please take a moment to forward our action link to your friends and family, and to share it on social media: https://action.momsrising.org/sign/healthy-equity-medicaid-gap-2021

Together we are a powerful voice for the health of families.

- Felicia, Tina, Donna, Kristin and the whole MomsRising / MamásConPoder team

[1] Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Closing the Coverage Gap a Critical Step for Advancing Health and Economic Justice
[2] Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Build Back Better Legislation Would Close the Medicaid Coverage Gap
[3] Common Wealth Fund, Racial and Ethnic Inequities in Health Care Coverage and Access, 2013–2019

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