Madison, WI – The U.S. House faces a key opportunity to stand up for their constituents and local communities by refusing to accept greater cuts to Medicaid and Marketplace subsidies in lieu of tax relief for the nation’s highest income earners. The Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association (WPHCA), representing the state’s 19 Community Health Centers serving 300,000 patients, encourages members of Wisconsin’s House delegation to oppose the Reconciliation bill passed by the U.S. Senate on July 1.
The bill will be especially harmful to Community Health Centers and their patients, which face a federal mandate to provide care regardless of a patient’s insurance status. Many of Wisconsin’s low-income residents, including those with Medicaid or Marketplace coverage, will face losses due to new administrative burdens and unnecessary red tape proposed in the Reconciliation bill. 55% of Wisconsin Community Health Centers are insured by Medicaid, including many working adults, and 20% of patients are uninsured.
Analysis by the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health at George Washington University noted that the changes in the Reconciliation bill would decimate the growth in access to care offered by CHCs since 2013. Across the nation, it is expected that the percentage of uninsured patients would rise from 18% in 2023 to over 35% with annual patient revenue dropping 66% from current levels. Additionally, the number of patients served by CHCs is anticipated to drop more than 30% due to capacity constraints. These challenges are directly tied to the over $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and Marketplace reductions in the Senate Reconciliation bill.
“There is no doubt that the Senate’s Reconciliation bill will decimate Community Health Centers across the State of Wisconsin if passed. At a time when the health care system is already fragile in Wisconsin, we cannot afford to further eliminate access to high-quality health care for our communities. This bill simply causes too much harm to Community Health Centers, their patients, and the communities they serve. We urge House members to prioritize the health of their constituents and communities by voting NO on the Reconciliation bill,” said Scott Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of WPHCA.
