The healthcare fight is heating up, and yesterday was a huge day. Yesterday, on the 18th anniversary of the Olmstead decision, Senate Majority Leader McConnell released the Senate’s healthcare bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017. Read the bill (PDF) and summary. Also yesterday, disability rights group ADAPT staged a die-in at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s DC office to protest the attacks on people with disabilities contained within the bill. The die-in received media coverage around the country and has energized disability advocates in DC and in the states to keep fighting, which is exactly what we need to do!
Background
The Senate calls their bill the Better Care Reconciliation Act, but using “better care” in the title is a flat-out lie. As expected, the bill closely resembles the House’s American Health Care Act, and will still result in people losing health insurance, significantly increasing healthcare costs, and people with pre-existing conditions losing the protections we’ve been promised (primarily through continuing coverage requirements and states’ abilities to waive the Essential Health Benefits). But it also makes one major change that will leave people with disabilities worse off. The bill still changes Medicaid to a per capita cap system, but it slows the growth rate of the program starting in 2025. This means that Medicaid will start to experience major cuts immediately, but that those cuts will deepen even more beginning in 2025. This means even less money for states to fund the services and supports we need to stay in our homes and communities. This means more people with disabilities being forced into nursing homes and institutions. This means more members of our community dying.
Take Action!
We need people around the country to build on yesterday’s momentum and take action! We have included a list of priority Senators below, but this is important for everyone! Here are several ways you can take action:
- Follow ADAPT’s lead and hold a protest at your Senator’s office! CILs around the country have been organizing protests and similar die-ins in their states. Now that the bill has been introduced, it’s time to redouble those efforts.
- Call your Senator TODAY and demand they vote no on this terrible bill! You can reach your Senators by calling the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and asking the operator to connect you or by using this directory. You can find a sample script in our recent alert, but the main points you want to get across are that this bill will be harmful to their disabled constituents and they should vote NO on the Better Care Reconciliation Act. Call often, because they need to hear from us regularly!
- Contact your Senator using another method! You can also fax your Senator (use faxzero.com to find your Senator’s fax number) or use Resistbot to have your texts turned into faxes, mail, or hand-delivered letters. If you’re on social media, make sure to find your Senator’s email address, Twitter handle, and other information through Contacting Congress.
- Set up a meeting with your Senator’s staff. Explain to them how harmful the cuts to Medicaid and other changes in this bill will be to their constituents with disabilities.
- Lastly, help ADAPT pay for their fines and other legal fees! Forty-three disability rights activists were arrested fighting for our lives. If you’re able, please donate to their legal fund. And spread the word!
Senate Republicans need 50 votes to pass the bill, which means they can only lose two Senators. We need to make sure they lose three! This bill fundamentally changes Medicaid and will disproportionately harm the disability community. This is our fight. Make sure our voices are heard!
Priority Senators:
- Alabama: Shelby and Strange
- Alaska: Murkowski* and Sullivan*
- Arizona: Flake* and McCain
- Colorado: Gardner*
- Florida: Rubio
- Georgia: Isakson
- Indiana: Young
- Louisiana: Cassidy*
- Maine: Collins*
- Missouri: Blunt
- Montana: Daines
- Nebraska: Fischer and Sasse
- Nevada: Heller*
- Ohio: Portman*
- Pennsylvania: Toomey*
- West Virginia: Capito*
- Wisconsin: Johnson
* Top priorities
I deal with a disability, but your guidance will direct me in the right area to debate , and please let me in for upcoming congress meeting and cspan , other government t.v channels to watch plus emailed activists and advocacy website plus emails to communicate with thank you for caring