MEDICAID GOING FORWARD
The NDNRC wants to make sure that people with disabilities (PWDs) are aware of potential changes to their healthcare with the new administration taking office. The disability community utilizes Medicaid, and the ACA Marketplace plans at a higher rate than those without disabilities due to their unique needs.
By updating this newsletter with resources and educational pieces on where disability health policies stand, we hope to ensure that the disability community continues to have access to accessible and affordable healthcare coverage no matter what changes occur in the foreseeable future.
The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) released a report after the Republican-led Congress considered plans to cut $880 billion or more in reductions to federal Medicaid spending. This report covers different perspectives of Medicaid enrollees who voted for each candidate in the 2024 Presidential election. Topics covered included Medicaid, government roles in healthcare, reduction in healthcare spending, and work requirements.
The National Health Law Program also covered the Medicaid budget cuts and pointed out the positive impacts that Medicaid has on the general population’s health and the economy. Overall, these proposed cuts would shift to state programs and increase costs for taxpayers.
KFF discussed how much the federal government spends on healthcare. Overall, the federal government spent $1.9 trillion on health programs and services in 2024. At this point in time, reconciliation will be used to reduce mandatory spending to offset the cost of extending the expiring tax cuts.
A KFF analysis found that caps on federal spending per Medicaid enrollee could decrease federal Medicaid spending over the next ten years from $532 billion to nearly $1 trillion. This would mean that about 15 million people could lose Medicaid coverage by 2034.
Community Catalyst posted about state lawmakers attempting to push Medicaid work requirements, despite research showing that it would make it harder to have health care coverage. Overall, these policies would harm low-incomes populations, families, and people with disabilities.
KFF continues to release explainers and basic coverage of various components of Medicaid and covered managed care. Managed care is the main delivery system for people enrolled in Medicaid and enrollment data showed that 75% of Medicaid beneficiaries were enrolled in comprehensive managed care organization.
Another explainer from KFF discussed key facts on Medicaid coverage for adults with mental illness, as well as an overview of the current administration’s executive actions that impact LGBTQ+ health.
The CHIRblog found through bipartisan reports that a recent increase in private equity in healthcare leads to higher costs and lower quality healthcare. Overall, there is a bipartisan call to engage in policy action to stop the corporatization of healthcare.
Only 10 states have not adopted Medicaid expansion rules and there are record low levels of uninsured populations for those under the age of 65. However, there is still a coverage gap that exists in states that do not have expanded Medicaid programs, noting that 3 out of 4 adults in the coverage gap live in Southern states.
As a part of our partnership with the Center of Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), we have updated Factsheets 1 through 16, excluding Factsheet 6; people with disabilities should read topic and population specific sheets.
The American Public Health Association (APHA) is calling for abstracts for the APHA 2025 Annual Meeting and Expo. The submission deadline is March 28, 2025: “APHA’s Disability section invites abstract submissions for socio-behavioral including health education and program intervention research, epidemiological, health systems, health law and policy, and social justice research related to disability and public health that represent people with all types of disabilities (e.g., cognitive, physical, mental, and sensory) across the lifespan. The section encourages abstracts that feature domestic and international perspectives. Case studies and demonstration projects that represent best practices and have been evaluated are also highly encouraged.”
Archives of our weekly updates are available on the NDNRC website.