The House passed legislation last week with last-minute changes that made the bill even worse for people who rely on Medicare and Medicaid for health care. Now the Senate will take up the bill, with a vote expected in the coming weeks.
What is at stake:
The Center for Medicare Advocacy has discussed the harms, coverage losses, and increased costs for people with disabilities, older adults and their families that will result if the devastating House-passed legislation passes through the Senate. Additional information on the provisions in the House-passed bill and impacts on families can be found here and the catastrophic impact on hospitals here.
The Center for Medicare Advocacy has outlined how cuts to Medicaid are actually cuts to Medicare, and how cruel this legislation is. CMA would also like to flag a particular provision that may not be getting as much attention:
The House-passed bill would block implementation of a rule, through 2035, that increases enrollment in the Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) among low-income Medicare beneficiaries. A direct result of this legislation is that fewer Medicare beneficiaries who are eligible for MSPs and the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS, the program that helps people with Medicare pay for prescription drug costs) would enroll—this will lead to higher costs for Medicare beneficiaries, and surely many will forgo necessary medications due to the costs. In fact, recent research found that loss of LIS leads to higher mortality among Medicare beneficiaries. Read more on this issue here.
How to make your voice heard:
Contact Senate Offices: Call your Senators at home and in Washington, DC. Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
When should people act:
With the projected timeline of Senate negotiations and possible voting on the legislation in the coming weeks, the time to act is… NOW!
May 29, 2025 – K. Kertesz