Lois Capps: “I rise in support of the Herseth motion to instruct conferees. The House-passed budget cuts, $20 billion for Medicaid.…”

“I rise in support of the Herseth motion to instruct conferees. The House-passed budget cuts, $20 billion for Medicaid. It denies States, health care providers, and low-income working families $20 billion for health care services they vitally need. While closing loopholes and fighting waste, fraud, and abuse is important, there is no way it is going to save near that amount. As our colleague from South Dakota has forcefully stated, a clear majority of the Congress opposes these cuts, and for good reason. Medicaid provides health care to 52 million low-income children, pregnant women, parents and the elderly. It is a critical source of acute and long-term care for 13 million elderly and disabled. These are the people who would be affected by cutting billions out of Medicaid. Since the President took office, the number of uninsured has increased by 5.2 million. Medicaid enrollment grew by 6 million over the same period, covering many people who would otherwise have been uninsured. Even so, Medicaid costs have grown about half as fast as private health care insurance premiums. Between 2000 and 2003, Medicaid per capita spending went up by 6.9 percent, while private insurance premiums went up almost twice that amount, 12.6 percent. And the growth in costs we have seen as a result of the skyrocketing health costs this President has allowed, not Medicaid itself.…”