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After months of fighting back against attempts by the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and end Medicaid as we know it, U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) today joined Michigan United and local leaders to discuss the importance of the Medicaid program to senior citizens, children and the disabled in Michigan. Dingell was joined by Eli Savit of Michigan United, State Representative Ronnie Peterson, Washtenaw County Commissioner Ricky Jefferson, Ypsilanti City Councilman Peter Murdock, Community Alliance Executive Director Kathy Grant, former State Representative John Freeman, and concerned citizens who shared their stories.

“We know here in Michigan that Medicaid is a lifeline for seniors, children and people with disabilities,” said Dingell. “Medicaid covers 2.3 million adults and children in our state, including 700,000 Michiganders who are covered by Healthy Michigan through the Affordable Care Act. The Administration’s relentless assault on the ACA and Medicaid puts the health coverage that our most vulnerable populations depend upon at risk. This is unacceptable.

“We’ve been able to stop these dangerous proposals so far because the American people stood up and spoke with a unified voice. But we must remain vigilant. We have to keep fighting, and that is why conversations like this are so important. Together we will keep telling our story about why Medicaid matters in Michigan and across the country and protect this vital program that is a lifeline for many.”

Both the Graham-Cassidy proposal and the ACA repeal bill that passed the House of Representatives earlier this year threatened Medicaid to its core. The proposals would end Medicaid as we know it by turning the program into a per-capita cap program that does not take into account the expected growth in health care spending for the elderly and the disabled, all of which contribute to a growing, not shrinking, need for long-term care funding. Capping Medicaid would undermine access to care, jeopardize the fiscal stability of states, further strain family caregivers who are already overburdened, and lead to a significant decline in quality of long-term care.

Medicaid is the largest payer of long-term care in the country accounting for 42 percent of all spending. As the U.S. population continues to age, the demand for long-term care is expected to double in the next 40 years. Among people 65 and over, it is estimated that 70 percent will need long-term care at some point, and people who are older than 85 are four times more likely to need these services than younger seniors.

“We need to improve the Medicaid program, but we need to be reforming Medicaid by making it easier for seniors and people with disabilities to get the care they need, not harder,” said Dingell.