John,

The people of Puerto Rico are still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Fiona and other climate disasters and, if Congress doesn’t act, they’ll have a health care disaster on their hands too.

While Medicaid and other federal medical assistance to states provides more funding to those with higher levels of poverty, U.S. territories, such as Puerto Rico, instead receive temporary fixed block grants that are inadequate to meet their needs. But if Congress doesn’t act by December 16, the already-low federal payment for Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program will drop steeply. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have determined that future allotments for Puerto Rico should increase from $400 million to $3 billion.

Congress is facing pressure to reject the CMS recommendation and we can’t allow that to happen. Click here to write a letter to your members of Congress telling them to increase the block grant allotments for all territories, and maintain or increase the federal matching rates to align with the states.

Thank you for all you do,

Nicolai Haddal
Field and Events Manager, Coalition on Human Needs

-- DEBORAH’S EMAIL --

FIRSTNAME,

The people of Puerto Rico are still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Fiona and other climate disasters and, if Congress doesn’t act, they’ll have a health care disaster on their hands too.

While Medicaid and other federal medical assistance to states provides more funding to those with higher levels of poverty, U.S. territories, such as Puerto Rico, instead receive temporary fixed block grants that are inadequate to meet their needs. But if Congress doesn’t act by December 16, the already-low federal payment for Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program will drop steeply. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have determined that future allotments for Puerto Rico should increase from $400 million to $3 billion.

Congress is facing pressure to reject the CMS recommendation and we can’t allow that to happen. Click here to write a letter to your members of Congress telling them to increase the block grant allotments for all territories, and maintain or increase the federal matching rates to align with the states.

Thank you for all you do,

Nicolai Haddal
Field and Events Manager, Coalition on Human Needs

-- DEBORAH’S EMAIL --

John,

Over the last three years, as a result of rule changes made during the COVID-19 public health emergency, the uninsured rate in the United States has reached a record low as enrollment in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) increased.

This was, in part, due to “continuous coverage requirements,” which will end when the public health emergency ends, unless Congress acts. If continuous coverage ends, between 5 and 14 million people are expected to lose coverage―with people with disabilities, low income, limited English proficiency, and those who have moved since the pandemic began at the greatest risk.

As we come together to honor those who have served on this Veteran’s Day, we are also reminded of the fact that 1 in 10 non-elderly U.S. Veterans receive health insurance coverage through Medicaid.[1]

Write to your member of Congress now and tell them to include Medicaid and CHIP funding in the end-of-year funding bill!

Health inequities in the U.S. are the result of a long history of denials of care by race, gender, disability and income. Right now, Medicaid finances roughly 40% of births in the U.S., including 59% of births of Hispanic mothers and 65% of births to Black mothers. However, federal law only requires states to continue covering mothers for 60 days postpartum.

Black mothers in the U.S. are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women, with Hispanic, Native American, and Asian American and Pacific Islanders experiencing disproportionate mortality and morbidity rates as well. To address these disparities, Congress must include the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act (S.346 and H.R.959) in the year-end legislation.

Everyone deserves access to quality health care coverage. Click here to write a letter to your members of Congress urging them to support a year-end funding package that prevents millions of people from losing their health care coverage when the COVID-19 public health emergency ends.  

Thank you for all you do to support children and their families,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs