Congresswoman Scanlon Convenes Key Stakeholders to Raise Alarm as House Republicans Move Forward with Medicaid Cuts“If just three House Republicans would join us to protect Medicaid rather than their million-dollar donors, we can save health care for millions of Americans.”
Washington,
February 21, 2025
Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) yesterday convened a roundtable of local health care stakeholders to raise the alarm about House Republicans' budget resolution that aims to cut at least $880 billion in federal Medicaid funding and to learn more about how those cuts would impact patients and health care operations. Medicaid provides coverage to 2.68 million Pennsylvania residents—that’s 21.4% of the commonwealth’s population. In PA-05 alone, over 100,000 people are at risk of losing their health care if the Republican budget becomes law. This includes more than 43,000 children under 19 and nearly 10,000 seniors over 65. Under the GOP budget proposal, 26,000 people in PA-05 who rely on the Affordable Care Act could face a premium hike of $2,550 per year—an increase of 104%. “Donald Trump and House Republicans are moving forward with Medicaid cuts in order to give big tax breaks to million-dollar Republican donors,” said Rep. Scanlon. “This kind of billionaire welfare is a profound betrayal of hardworking American taxpayers. Our local health care providers have made clear the devastating toll that these cuts would have on our community, in terms of increased human suffering, forced closures and job losses at health centers serving hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians, and more sick patients overwhelming already overcrowded emergency rooms.” Rep. Scanlon continued, “If just three House Republicans would join us to protect Medicaid rather than their million-dollar donors, we can save health care for millions of Americans. My team and I are working to curb these attacks on Medicaid and other critical programs—but we can’t do it alone. Our efforts are only effective because of the support and partnership from our local health care leaders gathered here today.” Local health care stakeholders that participated in the roundtable include:
“Medicaid cuts pose a significant threat not only to the health and well-being of our patients but to the sustainability of the entire community health center model,” said Delaware Valley Community Health CEO A. Scott McNeal, DO. “At Delaware Valley Community Health, we provide care to more than 54,000 individuals annually, with nearly 51% of our patients relying on Medicaid. Without this critical support, many of our most vulnerable community members—including children, pregnant women, older adults, and individuals with disabilities—would lose access to essential healthcare services. Medicaid is a lifeline for our communities, ensuring we can deliver comprehensive, high-quality care while maintaining the financial stability necessary to continue our mission. If these cuts proceed, the consequences will be devastating—compromising patient care, straining health centers like ours, and threatening the future of accessible healthcare for those who need it most.” “At Family Practice and Counseling Network (FPCN), we are committed to providing person-centered, integrated, and comprehensive health services to individuals and families across their lifespan,” said LaQuesha Garland, Director of Development & Social Innovations at Family Practice & Counseling Network. “We believe that access to quality healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and we strive to ensure that everyone receives the care they need—regardless of their ability to pay. Proposed Medicaid cuts threaten the well-being of the individuals and families we, and other entities like ours, serve across the Commonwealth. Many of our patients and clients rely on Medicaid for essential medical, behavioral health, and preventative care services. Reducing these critical resources would force families to make impossible choices between healthcare, food, housing, and other basic needs, ultimately deepening health disparities in our communities. Further, cuts to the Medicaid program would strain our ability as healthcare providers to deliver services, forcing difficult decisions about how to continue providing high-quality care with fewer resources leading to longer wait times, reduced services, and increased financial pressure on operations that would limit access to care at a time when our communities need it most. Together, we must continue advocating for a healthcare system that prioritizes compassion, accessibility and the fundamental right to well-being for everyone.” “Pennsylvania hospitals cannot withstand further downstream cuts to Medicaid reimbursement, and our most vulnerable patients, those who cannot advocate for themselves, deserve better,” said Dana Rainey, Vice President for Payor Strategies at Main Line Health. “As a family doctor and a public health expert, I am deeply concerned about the proposed cuts in Medicaid and the risk they pose to the health of our patients,” said Cheryl Bettigole, MD, MPH, a physician in Penn Medicine’s Department of Family Medicine & Community Health added, “Funding cuts could force the state to lower the income cutoff for coverage of young children and could eliminate coverage for adults who work at lower wage jobs. We have seen what that looks like before: children who miss out on vision, hearing, and developmental screenings that can catch a problem early enough for effective treatment; patients with high blood pressure or diabetes who miss out on treatment that could have prevented kidney failure, blindness, heart attacks and strokes, leading to needless disability for lack of simple, effective treatments. Ensuring preventive care and care for chronic conditions is an essential part of protecting our nation’s health.” Photos from this event are available upon request. ### |
