Action Needed to Restore Proposed Cuts to Medicaid

APA Public Interest Policy Office: February 7, 2006

On February 1, the House of Representatives is expected to vote on final passage of the Budget Reconciliation bill (S. 1932), which would reduce the Medicaid program by $45 billion over the next ten years. Medicaid is the federal-state health insurance program that provides critically needed health care for persons of low income and is the largest federal payer of mental health services. It offers such vital services as the Early and Periodic, Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program for children and Targeted Case Management services for both children and adults.

What You Can Do

On this coming TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, mental health advocates from across the country will be calling their members of Congress to urge them to safeguard the Medicaid program. The following list of key House members includes those who might be persuaded to vote to amend the Budget Reconciliation bill to restore proposed cuts to Medicaid.

Please check the list of House members below to see if your Representative is included. (To verify the name of your Representative, please enter your zip code in the search field of the Public Policy Advocacy Network's CALL NOW box). If so, please call your Representative's office, using the phone number provided, and ask to speak to the staff person handling budget and appropriations issues. Once you've entered your zip, you will be able to view a phone script with talking points for your call.

SAMPLE PHONE SCRIPT

I am (name), a psychologist and constituent calling from [town and state], to urge Representative (name) to vote to amend the Budget Reconciliation bill (S. 1932) to restore proposed cuts to Medicaid. The drastic $45 billion in proposed cuts over the next ten years would severely limit access to critically needed Medicaid mental health services. This is of great concern since:

* Medicaid is our nation’s lifeline for millions of vulnerable, low-income children and adults who are in need of mental health services;

* Medicaid offers such vital services as the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) program for children and Targeted Case Management (TCM) services for both children and adults; and

* The proposed cuts to Medicaid would severely limit access to community-based mental health care and would result in higher rates of more costly emergency care and hospitalization.

I look forward to hearing how the Representative votes on this crucial legislation. Thank you for your consideration.

************************************************************************
Priority Offices for “National Mental Health Call Congress Day” (in alphabetical order by state)

Arkansas
Rep. John Boozman 202-225-4301

California
Rep. Mary Bono 202-225-5330
Rep. Darrell Issa 202-225-3906 [Member, House Mental Health Caucus]

Connecticut
Rep. Nancy Johnson 202-225-4476
Rep. Chris Shays 202-225-5541
Rep. Robert Simmons 202-225-2076

Delaware
Rep. Mike Castle 202-225-4165

Florida
Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite 202-225-1002
Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart 202-225-4211
Rep. Mark Foley 202-225-5792
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen 202-225-3931

Georgia
Rep. Phil Gingrey 202-225-2931

Idaho
Rep. Butch Otter 202-225-6611
Rep. Mike Simpson 202-225-5531

Illinois
Rep. Judy Biggert 202-225-3515
Rep. Timothy Johnson 202-225-2371
Rep. Mark Kirk 202-225-4835
Rep. John Shimkus 202-225-5271

Iowa
Rep. Jim Leach 202-225-6576

Maryland
Rep. Wayne Gilchrest 202-225-5311

Michigan
Rep. Vernon Ehlers 202-225-3831
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter 202-225-8171
Rep. Candice Miller 202-225-2106
Rep. Joe Schwarz 202-225-6276
Rep. Fred Upton 202-225-3761

Minnesota
Rep. Gil Gutknecht 202-225-2472
Rep. Jim Ramstad 202-225-2871

Montana
Rep. Dennis Rehberg 202-225-3211

Missouri
Rep. Jo Ann Emerson 202-225-4404

North Carolina
Rep. Howard Coble 202-225-6165
Rep. Robin Hayes 202-225-3715
Rep. Walter Jones 202-225-7032
Rep. Charlie Bass 202-225-5206

New Jersey
Rep. Frank LoBiondo 202-225-6572
Rep. Jim Saxton 202-225-4765

New York
Rep. Sherwood Boehlert 202-225-3665
Rep. Vito Fossella 202-225-3371
Rep. Sue Kelly 202-225-5441
Rep. Randy Kuhl 202-225-3161
Rep. John Sweeney 202-225-5614
Rep. James Walsh 202-225-3701 [Member, House Mental Health Caucus]

Ohio
Rep. Paul Gillmor 202-225-6405
Rep. Ralph Regula 202-225-3876

Pennsylvania
Rep. Charles Dent 202-225-6411
Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick 202-225-4276
Rep. Jim Gerlach 202-225-4315
Rep. Timothy Murphy 202-225-2301 [Co-chair, House Mental Health Caucus]
Rep. Todd Platts 202-225-5836
Rep. Curt Weldon 202-225-2011

South Carolina
Rep. Joe Wilson 202-225-2452 [Member, House Mental Health Caucus]

Tennessee
Rep. Zach Wamp 202-225-3271 [Member, House Mental Health Caucus]

Virginia
Rep. Jo Ann Davis 202-225-4261
Rep. Tom Davis 202-225-1492

West Virginia
Rep. Shelley Moore Capito 202-225-2711 [Member, House Mental Health Caucus]

Washington
Rep. Dave Reichert 202-225-7761

Wisconsin
Rep. Mark Green 202-225-5665

............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR ANY SUPPORT THAT YOU CAN LEND TO THIS EFFORT!

For more information or for questions about this alert please contact Denis Nissim-Sabat, PhD, at (202) 336-5931 or Ellen Garrison, PhD, at (202) 336-6066 of the Public Policy Office.