Advocates: Shield Medicaid from 'fiscal cliff' cuts

A coalition of health and social justice groups is urging Congress not to allow Medicaid cuts in a deal to reduce the deficit and avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff."

The 165 national groups sent a letter to lawmakers Tuesday asking them to shield Medicaid, which provides health insurance to low-income people, including millions of children. Liberal lawmakers have made the same case in recent weeks.

Tuesday's letter also argued against proposals to block-grant the program, like House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.).

"Any cut or restructuring of Medicaid … is simply a cost shift to states and families," the groups wrote. "As our economy struggles to recover, now is not the time for the federal government to shift costs to states and families."

Liberal advocacy group Families USA distributed the letter to reporters.

"Budget debates are always about priorities, and it would be difficult to find a program more vital than Medicaid in terms of its importance to America’s families," said Families USA Executive Director Ron Pollack in a statement.

"There’s no ‘fat’ in this program to cut. Cuts to Medicaid mean cuts to actual delivery of healthcare. Cuts to Medicaid mean more financial hardship for struggling families and more financial hardship for burdened state budgets."

Pollack added that the organizations that co-signed the letter represent "many millions of Americans."

The groups ranged from the American Academy of Pediatrics to the NAACP to the National Coalition for LGBT Health.

President Obama and congressional Republicans are still negotiating over how to avoid the combination of tax hikes and spending cuts set to take effect in January.

---