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Welcome to the Mental Health Association's On-line Advocacy Legislative News. 

These periodic alerts are designed to keep you up to date on important legislative issues and to suggest steps to action.  We welcome your input and responses to these alerts, which are compiled and written by Marge Parrish, Special Projects Coordinator.  Please call us with your feedback at 314-773-1399.

March 14, 2005

URGENT NMHA Legislative Alert

 

Senate Vote on Enormous Medicaid Cuts As Early As March 15!!!!

The House and Senate budget resolutions for FY 2006 include $15 (that's fifteen!) billion cuts in federal Medicaid funding over five years -- twice what the President proposed!

Our only hope to stop these cuts from being enacted is an amendment to be offered by Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) as early as Tuesday, March 15 - THIS WEEK!

PLEASE call AND e-mail both of your Senators NOW and urge them to support the Smith-Bingaman amendment to strike the Medicaid cuts from the budget.

Call Your Senators Toll Free:
1-800-828-0498

This number will connect you with the Capitol Switchboard.

Ask to be connected to your Senator's office and once connected, ask to speak with the staff person who covers healthcare or budget issues.

Next, call again and ask to be connected to your other Senator's office.

E-mail Your Senators:

Go to the Internet site http://www.congress.org and enter your ZIP code.
Select the appropriate Senator and click on the e-mail address.
A message form will appear that you can fill out (including by cutting and pasting the attached message points) and e-mail to his or her office.

Message Points:

I urge Senator _____ to support the Smith-Bingaman amendment to strike the Medicaid cuts in the budget resolution.

Medicaid is a lifeline for millions of individuals with mental illness. The enormous cut to this critical program currently included in the Senate budget will mean that many low-income people with mental illness in our state will not receive the prescription medications and therapy they need and those in crisis will be subjected to harmful limits on inpatient care. These people have nowhere else to turn for medical assistance, and without needed treatment, they will suffer tragic consequences.

Background:

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the President's budget proposal would cut Medicaid by $7.6 billion over five years. The House and Senate Budget Committees met last week and adopted budget resolutions that include Medicaid cuts that are roughly double that amount. The House budget resolution includes at least a $15 billion cut to Medicaid that could result in reductions as high as $20 billion if savings in other programs do not materialize. The Senate budget resolution includes a $15 billion cut to Medicaid.

Both the House and Senate are expected to bring the budget resolutions to the floor next week.

Our only hope of stopping these devastating cuts to Medicaid is an amendment being offered by Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) as early as March 15. This amendment would strike the Medicaid cut in the Senate budget resolution and replace it with a provision to fund a commission to study the problems facing Medicaid.

From Jefferson City

SB 539 - Senator Purgason
Medicaid Changes

SB 539 has been voted out of committee and is on the Senate Perfection
Calendar, which means it could be debated on the Senate floor as early as
this March 15.  This is the bill that makes major changes in the Medicaid
program, including reducing income eligibility level for seniors and persons
with disabilities, eliminating the MAWD program, eliminating Medicaid
coverage for General Relief eligibles, and ending coverage for durable
medical equipment and dental coverage for adults, among other services.  The
bill also makes major changes in personal care assistance programs.

This bill may be debated sometime today (Monday, March 14) after the Senate convenes
at 4:00 pm.  The Senate is also scheduled to be in session on Tuesday and
Wednesday at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm and on Thursday at 10:00 am.  The floor
debate is broadcast live via the Internet.

Marge Parrish
Associate Program Director
Mental Health Association of Greater St. Louis
1905 South Grand Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63104
314-773-1399  voice
314-773-5930  fax
www.mhagstl.org

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