Despite Campaign Promises to Protect Medicaid, Trump Admin Commits to Pursuing Plan to Cut Services / 2.8M Pennsylvanians Receive Medicaid, Approximately 280K Seniors Receive Nursing Home Care through Program
Washington, DC- At the Senate Finance Committee’s confirmation hearing of Representative Tom Price (R-GA) to be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Representative Price doubled down on the Trump Administration’s far right plan to block grant Medicaid, which would result in $1 trillion in cuts and less services for Pennsylvania seniors, children and those with disabilities. President Trump promised to protect these vital programs during the campaign but has raced to the far right ever since. In an interview with Axios, President Trump discussed block granting Medicaid, then this past Sunday his senior advisor, Kellyanne Conway, indicated that this would be the Administration’s policy. Representative Price defended this far right approach that will adversely impact middle class families, seniors, children and those with disabilities. Block granting Medicaid will result in approximately $1 trillion in cut that will mean less services and jobs in our communities lost. 2.8 million Pennsylvanians receive Medicaid, including approximately 280,000 seniors who benefit from nursing home care or other services.
“Representative Price confirmed that President Trump will blatantly break a campaign process by block granting Medicaid and cutting funding for children, seniors and those with disabilities,” Senator Casey said. “There’s no euphemism that will cover up the fact that block granting Medicaid will destroy it and deny care to those who desperately need it; not to mention what the cuts will do to the countless good-paying Pennsylvania jobs that will be lost. I will fight like hell against any attempt to undermine benefits for seniors who need nursing home care, those with disabilities who need coverage and children who deserve a fair shot at a healthy start to their lives.”
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