PRINTER'S NO. 2468
No. 398 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY WALKO, DeWEESE, COHEN, BELARDI, BELFANTI, CALTAGIRONE, CORRIGAN, DERMODY, GEORGE, GOODMAN, HARHAI, KIRKLAND, KOTIK, LEACH, LEVDANSKY, MANDERINO, MARKOSEK, McCALL, PETRARCA, RAMALEY, READSHAW, SAINATO, SHANER, STURLA, TIGUE, WOJNAROSKI, SANTONI AND McGEEHAN, JULY 2, 2005
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, JULY 2, 2005
A RESOLUTION 1 Calling upon the President and Congress of the United States to 2 reconsider cuts to the Medicaid program. 3 WHEREAS, More than 53 million Americans rely on the Medicaid 4 program for their health care and prescription drug coverage; 5 and 6 WHEREAS, In the most recent recession, millions of Americans, 7 including more than 1 million Pennsylvanians who otherwise would 8 have been without health insurance, had health care and 9 affordable prescription drug coverage under the Medicaid 10 program; and 11 WHEREAS, Cuts in the Medicaid program will impair 12 prescription drug coverage and diminish the program's ability to 13 meet the growing health care needs of our most vulnerable 14 Americans, including children, elderly persons and persons with 15 disabilities; and 16 WHEREAS, Medicaid funds support services provided by public
1 hospitals, home health care providers, community-based care 2 providers and nursing homes and provide access to preventative 3 and primary health care services for children; and 4 WHEREAS, While recognizing the need to address rising health 5 care costs in the United States, we must also consider that the 6 overall growth rate of Medicaid is lower than that of private 7 health insurance premiums; and 8 WHEREAS, Deep cuts in Medicaid funding or spending caps would 9 shift billions of dollars of health care costs to state and 10 local governments at a time when states are already struggling 11 with skyrocketing prescription drug costs, an increase in demand 12 for services and a fast-growing senior population; and 13 WHEREAS, States need reliable and consistent Federal Medicaid 14 funding to sustain their Medicaid programs, and reducing or 15 capping Federal funding would be a policy move in the wrong 16 direction; therefore be it 17 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 18 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania oppose changes that would convert 19 the Medicaid program into a block grant or otherwise impose 20 spending caps on Federal funding, thereby reducing funding to 21 the states; and be it further 22 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives call on the 23 President and Congress to support a 2005-2006 Federal budget 24 proposal that protects the current funding structure of the 25 Medicaid program in order to continue meeting the vital health 26 care needs of our most vulnerable Americans; and be it further 27 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 28 President George W. Bush, to the presiding officers of each 29 house of Congress and to each member of Congress from 30 Pennsylvania. F22L82AJM/20050H0398R2468 - 2 -