Political Quotes

“44 Members on the Republican side defied their party, not because some deep-pocketed lobbyist asked them to, but because fighting for people in desperate need was and is the right thing to do. Medicaid health and long-term coverage is already limited to the impoverished elderly in nursing homes, the lowest-income children, and other vulnerable populations. My friend, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nussle) expressed shock that Medicaid costs have actually grown. I think he must know that private insurance growth in this country is greater than 12 percent, Medicare costs are going up around 7 or 8 percent. Medicaid costs are going up only about 6 percent, half the pace of private insurance. There is no cost-effective alternative to Medicaid. Medicaid is the cost-effective alternative. Medicaid cuts would not only jeopardize 5 million elderly Americans who would lack access to nursing home care without it, these cuts would place every nursing home resident, on Medicaid or not, in this country at risk. Each year nursing homes serve 2.5 million Americans. Medicaid covers 70 percent of these Americans. The very health and safety of nursing home residents hinges on adequate Medicaid reimbursement. As it stands, Medicaid funding is insufficient to cover both those Americans who need nursing home services and those who need home and community-based care.…”