(Sacramento, CA – June 22, 2017) Senate Republicans today unveiled an outline of their version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA). Lawmakers drafted the bill without any public hearings. Senate leadership is pushing for a vote before the July 4 holiday recess. The bill contains many of the same harmful cuts that are included in the House bill passed in May. They will be catastrophic for people with disabilities, seniors, and children. 

The Senate bill would make deep cuts to Medicaid, known as Medi-Cal in California, which funds regional center services and In-Home Support Services (IHSS), as well as health care services for 13.5 million Californians. Four million Californians will lose access to health insurance if the Affordable Care Act’s Medi-Cal expansion is phased out.

The Senate bill imposes per capita caps to reduce Medicaid. Those caps limit the amount the federal government will pay for each person enrolled in Medicaid no matter what their need is. This will force California to reduce eligibility or cut Medicaid services. That will risk the health of individuals with disabilities. In California, Medi-Cal currently pays for nearly 50% of services for the 320,000 regional center consumers. It provides 550,000 IHSS recipients with the services they need to remain in their own homes

What you can do

If these changes will hurt you or your family, contact your Congressional Representatives [202-224-3121]. Educate your state representatives about how these changes may threaten the services you receive from your regional center or IHSS. Tell them why your health insurance through Medi-Cal is important to you. 

You may want to share your story through social media and use hashtags, such as #SaveMedicaid or #ProtectOurCare.