Please join Sen. Bob Casey (PA) as he addresses the Graham-Cassidy proposal and the effects on Medicaid, adults with disabilities, children with complex health needs, schools, veterans, and those who are aging. Details for joining below:
What: Conference call with Sen. Bob Casey
When: Friday, September 22, 5:45 pm–6:15 pm EDT
Call in number: 866-317-5076, no PIN or ID necessary
No RSVP necessary
Questions, contact Jack Phillips, RCPA Director, Government Affairs
ALERT – Act Now to Stop Irreparable Medicaid Cuts!
Latest Available data on Graham/Cassidy
The next few days are critical!
Call Congress at (202) 224 3121 and
click here to send your Senators an email to VOTE NO.
The process by which Senate Republicans can pass an Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal/replace bill by a simple majority budget process called reconciliation (and thus not requiring Democratic support of any kind) ends next week, at the end of September.
The Graham/Cassidy bill is now presenting a major threat to Medicaid – it replicates cuts presented in previous health proposals (using exact language from the Better Care Reconciliation Act – BCRA). According to earlier Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates, it will cut Medicaid (outside of expansion) by $175 billion between 2020-2026, and $39 billion will be cut from the Medicaid program in 2026 alone.
The situation has gotten worse. Last night, Chairman Alexander (R-TN) of the Senate HELP Committee who was leading bipartisan ACA fix efforts announced that the bipartisan deal is dead. That leaves the door wide open for Graham/Cassidy passage. Republican Senators are being told that the bill will benefit their state – that is false. This is a bill that seeks to save billions of federal dollars, not make policy improvements to health care programs.
The ACA will be replaced by block grants with likely less funding to states than they currently receive. and all of that money stops flowing completely to states in 10 years. The Medicaid program will be cut significantly and states will be expected to either pick up the bill or make tough decisions about whose lives are most at stake.
So here’s the timeline:
There are two Jewish holidays in the next two weeks that shorten the Senate session calendar. Today, Senators leave to observe Rosh Hashanah and will return Monday. They will have to pass a bill by Wednesday or Thursday because Yom Kippur (also observed by the Senate) begins at sundown next Thursday.
We will soon see a new Congressional Budget Office summary on the impact of Graham/Cassidy, and we expect the bill to be pushed hard next week to get to passage. We need three Republican Senators to oppose the bill in order for it to fail. Key Senators that could stop the bill are the same champions that ANCOR has awarded Congressional Leadership Awards to this year for defending our programs – Senator McCain (R-AZ), Senator Collins (R-ME), and Senator Murkowski (R-AK). Please make sure that if you are a constituent, or have connections in their states, that they hear from you!
IF YOU LIVE OR HAVE FRIENDS, FAMILY, OR COLLEAGUES IN STATES WITH REPUBLICAN SENATORS THEY MUST HEAR FROM US THAT THE GRAHAM/CASSIDY BILL WILL CREATE IRREPARABLE HARM TO PROGRAMS THAT PROTECT PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES!
THE NUMBERS ARE CLEAR THAT THIS IS A BAD DEAL FOR STATES! MAKE SURE YOUR REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVES IN THE HOUSE ARE RECEIVING THE SAME MESSAGE!
Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
Limited HCBS demo (we have intel this is for fear that per capita caps will end some state HCBS programs and need demo money to survive), page 96
The Federal Department of Labor (DOL) is seeking comments from the public concerning the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime exemptions regulations. As you may recall, the Obama Administration wanted to increase the overtime threshold from $23,660 to $47,476. At the time, RCPA submitted comments to the Department of Labor objecting to the increase. RCPA also presented testimony in front of the Pennsylvania State Senate regarding the impact that the DOL’s Overtime Exemption Rule would have on health and human service providers in Pennsylvania.
Before the rule took effect, a federal judge issued an injunction halting the FLSA rule. The judge granted the injunction because the FLSA rule “exceeded its delegated authority and ignored Congress’ intent such that it supplants the duties test.” (The duties test refers to one of the conditions that determines which workers are exempt from overtime rules.)
You may submit comments on the Federal Register’s website. Questions, contact Jack Phillips, RCPA Director of Government Affairs.
A new Request for Information (RFI) has been released by the US Department of Labor. This RFI pertains to the overtime rule that defines those employees exempt from the minimum wage and overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. In order to gather information to consider when deciding if and how to revise the regulation, the agency is requesting comments from the public.
This weekend, Senator McConnell announced that there would be no vote on the BCRA this week, and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) announced that there would not be a score of the BCRA, either. Additionally, the State Senate is scheduled to return today in the midst of a possible state budget action. Because of this, Wednesday’s press conference is being postponed. We will keep you updated on future events.
RCPA President & CEO Richard Edley interviewed with WITF on July 14 regarding the latest version of the federal Senate BCRA and the impact it would have on drug & alcohol services
RCPA has been working with a multi-association group to oppose the federal proposed American Health Care Act (AHCA)/ Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). We previously sent a letter to Senators Casey and Toomey and are now planning a letter to the editor and press conference. The effort has been led by the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of PA (HAP), but has been a very collaborative initiative, and RCPA will be speaking at the press conference along with several other associations. We encourage you to attend this event which is being held at the Capitol in Harrisburg on Wednesday, July 19 at 11:00 am. For additional information contact Jack Phillips, Director of Government Affairs.
The Senate has released its version of the American Health Care Act and it is worse than we feared. The Senate bill will cut Medicaid even more than the House bill in the future, putting tremendous pressure on safety-net services and providers.
But there is still time to act! The Senate is gearing up for a vote in the coming days, so NOW is the time to speak up and protect Medicaid.
Taking action is easy:
Thank you to all who have taken action on this issue so far this year. We appreciate your hard work and dedication and ask that you continue to mobilize and advocate on this critical issue! Together, we can protect and preserve Medicaid for millions of Americans in need.
Questions, contact Jack Phillips.
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