Urge Congress to Protect Health Care for Kidney Patients by Rejecting Cuts to Medicaid and ACA Marketplace Coverage
- af: American Kidney Fund
- mottagare: Congress
Your elected officials in Washington, DC, need to hear your voice today as Congress considers major cuts and changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces. The legislation currently making its way through the Capitol represents a serious threat to the health of kidney patients nationwide.
The House of Representatives recently passed H.R. 1, titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, that would cut more than $700 billion in funding for Medicaid. The bill also would require changes to the ACA Marketplaces that would make it harder to enroll in coverage and make coverage more expensive for those who do enroll.
The combination of Medicaid cuts and changes to the ACA Marketplaces would result in 15 million more uninsured people in the next decade, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The bill will now be considered by the Senate.
The American Kidney Fund (AKF) strongly opposes these measures. Having comprehensive, affordable health coverage through Medicaid and ACA Marketplace plans is lifesaving for people with kidney disease as well as people who are at risk for kidney disease. Medicaid and ACA plans make possible preventative care, kidney disease management and treatment, and transplants. H.R. 1 is potentially life-threatening for millions of people.
Sign and tell your elected officials to protect Medicaid and ACA marketplace coverage.
The House of Representatives recently passed H.R. 1, titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, that would cut more than $700 billion in funding for Medicaid. The bill also would require changes to the ACA Marketplaces that would make it harder to enroll in coverage and make coverage more expensive for those who do enroll.
The combination of Medicaid cuts and changes to the ACA Marketplaces would result in 15 million more uninsured people in the next decade, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The bill will now be considered by the Senate.
The American Kidney Fund (AKF) strongly opposes these measures. Having comprehensive, affordable health coverage through Medicaid and ACA Marketplace plans is lifesaving for people with kidney disease as well as people who are at risk for kidney disease. Medicaid and ACA plans make possible preventative care, kidney disease management and treatment, and transplants. H.R. 1 is potentially life-threatening for millions of people.
Sign and tell your elected officials to protect Medicaid and ACA marketplace coverage.
Subject: Protect Medicaid and ACA Marketplace Coverage
Dear [Legislator],
As someone who has been touched by kidney disease, I am reaching out to urge you to please protect the Medicaid program and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces. Medicaid is a lifeline for millions of people, including those with and at risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and dually eligible (Medicare and Medicaid) dialysis patients. The ACA Marketplaces provide access to affordable health coverage that is critical to accessing preventive care and reducing the risk of developing kidney disease.
I am deeply concerned that H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, would cut nearly $700 billion in funding for Medicaid and make changes to the ACA Marketplaces that, when combined with the Medicaid cuts, would result in 15 million more uninsured people. This would have a devastating impact on the kidney patient community. As your constituent I am asking you to oppose the cuts to Medicaid and the changes to the ACA Marketplaces that will lead to millions of people losing their health coverage and make coverage more expensive.
Medicaid helps people at all stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD), including kidney failure, also referred to as end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
CKD: Medicaid provides access to physicians and medicines so that people with CKD can manage their disease to halt or slow progression. Diabetes and high blood pressure are responsible for two out of three new cases of kidney failure; Medicaid provides the care needed to manage these two underlying illnesses.
Dialysis: For dialysis patients who are on Medicare, being dually eligible for Medicaid ensures they can afford their copay or coinsurance, making possible dialysis, physician visits, tests and medications.
Transplant: For ESRD patients who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, having Medicaid makes kidney transplant financially possible.
Research shows access to Medicaid leads to better health outcomes. Since the ACA was passed in 2010, 41 states, including the District of Columbia, expanded their Medicaid programs to all people who make 138% of the federal poverty level. In these 41 states, we have seen improved health status, including improved blood pressure and blood glucose levels among Medicaid beneficiaries. These are critical improvements that we must sustain, because nearly 75% of new cases of kidney failure are due to diabetes and hypertension.
Medicaid saves the lives of people with kidney failure. In states that expanded Medicaid, data shows lower mortality rates for people who are in the first year of dialysis treatment, compared to first-year dialysis patients in the 10 states that did not expand Medicaid. More patients in states with Medicaid expansion were also preemptively placed on the transplant list – enabling them to spend less time on dialysis before receiving a transplant.
For individuals not eligible for Medicaid and who do not have access to employer-sponsored health insurance, the ACA Marketplaces and premium tax credits enable them to enroll in quality, affordable coverage. These enrollees include healthy individuals as well as people with chronic conditions or who are at risk for chronic conditions such as CKD. Having health coverage is essential to prevention and early detection of CKD, as well as managing CKD to prevent or delay its progression into ESRD. Research has shown that having health coverage not only improves disease management but also decreases preventable hospitalizations.
As a member of the kidney community and as your constituent, I am urging you to protect Medicaid and ACA Marketplace coverage.
Sincerely,
[Name]
Skriv underSkriv underDear [Legislator],
As someone who has been touched by kidney disease, I am reaching out to urge you to please protect the Medicaid program and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces. Medicaid is a lifeline for millions of people, including those with and at risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and dually eligible (Medicare and Medicaid) dialysis patients. The ACA Marketplaces provide access to affordable health coverage that is critical to accessing preventive care and reducing the risk of developing kidney disease.
I am deeply concerned that H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, would cut nearly $700 billion in funding for Medicaid and make changes to the ACA Marketplaces that, when combined with the Medicaid cuts, would result in 15 million more uninsured people. This would have a devastating impact on the kidney patient community. As your constituent I am asking you to oppose the cuts to Medicaid and the changes to the ACA Marketplaces that will lead to millions of people losing their health coverage and make coverage more expensive.
Medicaid helps people at all stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD), including kidney failure, also referred to as end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
CKD: Medicaid provides access to physicians and medicines so that people with CKD can manage their disease to halt or slow progression. Diabetes and high blood pressure are responsible for two out of three new cases of kidney failure; Medicaid provides the care needed to manage these two underlying illnesses.
Dialysis: For dialysis patients who are on Medicare, being dually eligible for Medicaid ensures they can afford their copay or coinsurance, making possible dialysis, physician visits, tests and medications.
Transplant: For ESRD patients who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, having Medicaid makes kidney transplant financially possible.
Research shows access to Medicaid leads to better health outcomes. Since the ACA was passed in 2010, 41 states, including the District of Columbia, expanded their Medicaid programs to all people who make 138% of the federal poverty level. In these 41 states, we have seen improved health status, including improved blood pressure and blood glucose levels among Medicaid beneficiaries. These are critical improvements that we must sustain, because nearly 75% of new cases of kidney failure are due to diabetes and hypertension.
Medicaid saves the lives of people with kidney failure. In states that expanded Medicaid, data shows lower mortality rates for people who are in the first year of dialysis treatment, compared to first-year dialysis patients in the 10 states that did not expand Medicaid. More patients in states with Medicaid expansion were also preemptively placed on the transplant list – enabling them to spend less time on dialysis before receiving a transplant.
For individuals not eligible for Medicaid and who do not have access to employer-sponsored health insurance, the ACA Marketplaces and premium tax credits enable them to enroll in quality, affordable coverage. These enrollees include healthy individuals as well as people with chronic conditions or who are at risk for chronic conditions such as CKD. Having health coverage is essential to prevention and early detection of CKD, as well as managing CKD to prevent or delay its progression into ESRD. Research has shown that having health coverage not only improves disease management but also decreases preventable hospitalizations.
As a member of the kidney community and as your constituent, I am urging you to protect Medicaid and ACA Marketplace coverage.
Sincerely,
[Name]
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