On September 13, Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Dean Heller (R-NV), and Ron Johnson (R-WI) introduced their most recent version of legislation to replace the Affordable Care Act and cap Medicaid. The bill eliminates the Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credits, cost-sharing subsidies, and Medicaid expansion and replaces them with a block grant. The block grant represents a 17% cut in funding by 2026 compared to current law. This block grant will only be funded until December 31, 2026. Like previous proposals, this bill also allows states to weaken consumer protections such as the ban on pre-existing condition exclusions and the essential health benefits requirement. Finally, it includes the per capita caps on the traditional Medicaid program as seen in the Better Care Reconciliation Act. The Congressional Budget Office is developing a cost estimate on the bill in preparation for possible Senate floor action next week.

This summer – advocates helped defeat a dangerous health care bill that would have included massive cuts to Medicaid. We need your help to reinforce this message once again, as proposals such as the Graham, Cassidy, Heller, and Johnson bill include threats that are just as damaging to people with disabilities and their families.

The newest version of the Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson Health Care bill (see article below) may be on a fast track for a Senate vote before the authority for passage by a simple majority under the budget reconciliation instructions expires on September 30. Reports from the Senate indicate that Senators Graham (R-SC) and Cassidy (R-LA) have nearly the 50 votes needed for the bill to trigger a tie-breaking vote by Vice-President Mike Pence for passage. If successful, expectations are that the bill would go immediately to the House floor for passage and then to the President for signature. This would be a devastating blow to people with disabilities and their families who have worked so hard this year to prevent block grants and per capita caps from destroying the Medicaid program – a program which provides basic health care and long term supports which make it possible for millions of people to live as independently as possible in their home communities.