Medicaid’s life-changing coverage is worth protecting. Just take a look at PACE.
What simple pleasures do you take for granted? Maybe it’s making your coffee just the way you like it each morning, or perhaps it’s being able to walk outside and feel the sun on your face.
For many of us, what we take for granted boils down to our health, well-being and independence.
If the U.S. Senate moves forward with major reductions to Medicaid passed by the House of Representatives, millions of people will lose the health insurance coverage that enables them to access healthcare services that keep them out of expensive facilities like nursing homes and hospitals. If we believe Americans have a right to healthcare, we have a duty to protect the benefits Medicaid provides.
I have the privilege of leading PACE Southeast Michigan, part of a forward-thinking national program funded by Medicaid and Medicare. PACE, the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, provides comprehensive medical and social services to seniors at risk of entering a nursing home. We aim to maintain their independence so they can remain in the home they love.
The PACE program is distinctive because we are the healthcare provider and the insurance plan, thanks in part to Medicaid. This enables us to provide comprehensive, wraparound services that support PACE’s mission to provide the right care in the right setting and at the right cost so older adults can remain as independent and healthy as possible.
PACE Southeast Michigan alone cares for nearly 2,200 low-income seniors in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Medicaid is a critical funding source for the more than 180 PACE programs around the country.
For 50 years, PACE has kept older adults out of nursing homes and reduced emergency visits and hospital admissions because of the proactive approach we take.
In Michigan, PACE Medicaid payments are about a third of what a nursing home costs. It’s a win-win option for all involved — the senior experiences higher quality of life and the state sees a lower cost.
But Medicaid’s impact goes far beyond the elderly. About one in four Michiganians -– 2.6 million people — are enrolled in Medicaid. Those people depend on the federal government for their healthcare.
Nearly 70% of Michigan’s Medicaid funds come from the federal government. If the Medicaid cuts take effect, our state is projected to lose $20 billion in Medicaid funding over the next decade.
How many uninsured people is that? How many jobs is that? How many lives is that?
Cutting Medicaid funding ultimately strips people of their insurance, which will mean longer waits in emergency rooms, fewer jobs in healthcare and shuttered hospitals in rural areas.
A woman who receives care at one of our PACE Southeast Michigan Wayne County locations recently shared with us how grateful she is for PACE. She’s so thankful that, despite her chronic conditions, she’s able to get the care she needs to remain independent in the home she loves. The funding PACE receives from Medicaid helps make that possible.
I urge the Senate to support Medicaid and, in doing so, protect healthcare for the 2.6 million residents of our beautiful state who depend on it.
Mary Naber is President and CEO of PACE Southeast Michigan.
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