For Immediate Release
July 1, 2020
Modern Medicaid Alliance Partner Letter Urges Congressional Leaders to Increase States’ Federal Medical Assistance Percentage During COVID-19 Crisis
Washington, D.C. – In a letter to Congressional leaders, nearly 40 Alliance partners called on Congress to provide increased funding for the Medicaid program by enhancing states’ Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) in pending and future COVID-19 relief packages. According to the letter, “increased federal funding is urgently needed to continue delivering care and services that are critical to the growing number of Americans who rely on the Medicaid program.”
The letter, found here, implores Congressional leadership to “take immediate action to strengthen America’s Medicaid program in pending and future COVID-19 relief packages.” Further, it calls on Congress to “enhance federal financing for Medicaid by increasing states’ Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) by at least 12 percentage points, consistent with the request made by the bipartisan National Governors Association.”
Medicaid is the largest health care program in the country, covering 1 in 5 Americans, including millions of children, older adults, people with disabilities, and nearly 2 million veterans. The program is there for when Americans need it most, providing high-quality, cost-effective care to more than 70 million people nationwide.
The COVID-19 crisis has reinforced the importance of Medicaid as a critical safety net for vulnerable populations. A recent study estimates that nearly 27 million Americans have lost employer-sponsored insurance as a result of COVID-19. According to the same study, almost half of the men, women, and children who have lost coverage are now eligible for Medicaid. The Alliance’s letter goes on to say, “significant increased enrollment in the program will occur at the same time already-strained state budgets are dramatically reduced because of the economic downturn and loss of tax revenue.”
Strong support for Medicaid is a bipartisan issue. As the letter details, recent polling found that 83% of voters think increasing funding for Medicaid amid COVID-19 should be a priority for Congress, including a bipartisan majority of Democrats (94%) and Republicans (73%).
The Alliance — which includes national and local organizations from across the country — is a partnership between Americans who value Medicaid and leading advocacy organizations that works to educate policymakers and the public about the positive benefits and results of the Medicaid program. The Modern Medicaid Alliance is committed to working with Congress to support a Medicaid program that contributes to a stronger America.
About the Modern Medicaid Alliance: The Modern Medicaid Alliance is a partnership between Americans who value Medicaid and leading advocacy organizations. Our mission is to educate policymakers and the public about the benefits of Medicaid to the American people in terms of cost savings, health outcomes and social impact, and to highlight how Medicaid is innovating in the delivery of care – especially for America’s most vulnerable citizens – and accountability of the program. For Modern Medicaid Alliance news and updates, visit www.modernmedicaid.org, follow us on Twitter @modernmedicaid or www.facebook.com/modernmedicaid.