Report: Medicaid Cuts Would Harm Minorities

SAN FRANCISCO–Any cuts to Medicaid pose a danger to African Americans and Latinos, groups disproportionately suffering from high rates of chronic disease and lack of health insurance, according to a study released last week.

According to the report “Medicaid: A Lifeline for Blacks and Latinos with Serious Health Care Needs,” about one in four African Americans and Hispanics with heart disease or who survived a stroke rely on the state- and federally-funded health insurance program for low-income Americans.

For example, of the more than 200,000 blacks with diabetes in California, 32.5 percent are on Medi-Cal (the state’s name for Medicaid), while among the states nearly 80,000 Latinos with diabetes, 28.4 percent are on Medi-Cal.

The report was released by a consortium of organizations, including Families USA, the American Diabetes Association, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Council of La Raza. It contends that any cuts to Medicaid would have dangerous consequences for the seriously ill people among them.

Cuts Possible From Congress’ “Super Committee” 

The report comes as the congressional “super committee” debates ways to reduce the federal debt by $1.5 trillion over the next decade. The committee of 12 powerful members of Congress, half from each party, has been charged with crafting a plan for cuts or tax increases that Congress must vote up or down with no further debate.

Vying for the committee’s approval are Medicaid reduction included in the controversial deficit proposal passed earlier this year by House Republicans. It would have reduced the National Debt partly through sweeping changes to both Medicare and Medicaid. READ FULL ARTICLE