Pappas Highlights Devastating Impact of Republican Budget on Medicaid, NH Medicaid Expansion
Approximately 180,000 Granite Staters, including 60,000 enrolled in Medicaid Expansion, would see their access to health care put at risk.
In response to news that House Republicans will soon bring up the Senate’s amended version of their budget, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) held a roundtable with Erica Ungarelli, Granite Pathways Executive Director, Jake Berry, Vice President of Policy at New Futures, Jay Couture, President and CEO at the Seacoast Mental Health Center, Jon Stimmell, Interim Acting Executive Director and Program Director at Great Bay Services, Lisa Beaudion, Disability Policy expert, Melissa Hugener, Waypoint Family Resource Center, David Lombardi, CFO at Greater Seacoast Community Health, and a family from Dover who relies on Medicaid for health care access.
“Despite the overwhelming outcry from our communities, Republicans continue to push forward with a partisan budget that will slash Medicaid funding and put families at risk by cutting off their access to life-saving preventative care, long-term care, mental health, and addiction treatment,” said Congressman Pappas. “These severe cuts would hurt families in need of health care and services, and they would be devastating to our fight against the addiction and mental health crisis that we continue to face as a state. I will continue to fight back against these cuts and the tax breaks for billionaires like Elon Musk that are the centerpiece of Republicans’ bill. I’ll work to ensure that families across New Hampshire can access the care and services that benefit them as well as our overall health care system and economy.”
Background:
In February, Pappas held a roundtable with New Hampshire health care advocates and community leaders to highlight the devastating impact the Republican budget would have on New Hampshire residents’ access to health care and local community health centers’ ability to serve their patients. Pappas voted against the resolution when it came to the floor.
The proposed Republican budget threatens Medicaid coverage, jeopardizing health care coverage for 68,008 Granite Staters living in New Hampshire’s First District, including 32,000 children and 4,463 seniors. Across the state, Medicaid provides health coverage to more than 182,000 total New Hampshire residents – 13.4% of all Granite Staters, 30.1% of all New Hampshire children, and 64% of residents living in nursing homes.
The proposed Republican budget also threatens coverage for approximately 60,000 people in New Hampshire who receive coverage through New Hampshire’s Medicaid Expansion, a program set up with bipartisan support. Since its enactment in 2014, more than 250,000 Granite State residents have accessed health care through the program at least once.