Can’t afford the cuts

Our representatives’ actions on Capitol Hill often seem contrary to Arkansans’ needs, and the new Senate health-care bill is no exception.

Though the Senate proposal is more moderate than the House bill, it includes harsher cuts to Medicaid. Medicaid is jointly funded by federal and state governments, and is a huge component of Arkansas health care. Over a third of Arkansans are served by Medicaid, with 63.6 percent of that population under 18. Medicaid paid for 59.5 percent of all births in Arkansas in 2015. Under the Affordable Care Act, Arkansas expanded Medicaid, and saw the second-highest drop in the nation in uninsured population. This is an invaluable service to a state that consistently ranks among the poorest in the nation.

A coalition of 13 male Republican senators, including Sen. Tom Cotton, crafted a bill that, if passed, will result in a significant decrease in federal dollars for Medicaid recipients in Arkansas. This will decrease access to care for rural populations, women, children, people of color, and those of low socioeconomic status—groups already facing barriers to health-care access.

If one in three Arkansans rely on Medicaid for their health care, this is clearly not misplaced welfare. This is not a waste of state or federal funds. Health care is a basic human right that all Americans deserve.

This health-care bill would erase progress made under the ACA. Arkansas cannot afford to lose funding for Medicaid; Senators Cotton and Boozman should know that. But maybe they missed something … why don’t you give them a call? GRACE TEDDER

Jonesboro