This commentary is by Julie Ehrlich, MD, of Burlington, a pediatric resident physician at the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital and a member of the Vermont Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The U.S. Senate is set to vote on its budget reconciliation legislation in the coming weeks, threatening to decrease Medicaid funding even more than the already alarming proposed cuts by the House-passed budget known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The budget cuts would result in millions of Americans losing their health care coverage and thousands of preventable deaths annually, according to a new analysis published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Vermont pediatricians are deeply concerned about proposed cuts to Medicaid by the federal government. Why? Because the people and places in our region that care for children rely on Medicaid to provide needed services and to keep their doors open. Significant cuts to Medicaid will impact all children and the pediatric health professionals who care for them.
As a pediatrician in training, I have come to understand the importance of Medicaid for the children and families I care for. I worry that cuts to needed pediatric care will threaten the future of child health in Vermont.
Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that provides health coverage for our “most vulnerable,” but who exactly is that? Many people assume it is only for those with low incomes, those with disabilities and special needs, but what is often forgotten are the children.
Medicaid is the largest source of children’s health care coverage in the U.S. Our very own “Dr. Dynasaur,” Vermont’s Medicaid program for children and pregnant women, provides health care access to 48% of Vermont children.
Medicaid is especially important for children and families in rural areas where access to hospitals or doctor’s offices can be difficult. Medicaid provides school-based care, like on-site nurses or physicians, mental health professionals and other telehealth care.
Medicaid also covers preventative care for children like immunizations, well-child checkups, mental health services and vision and dental which keeps our kids healthy and in school. Cuts to Medicaid would be a disservice to every child and would have terrible and costly consequences for years to come.
Additionally, children’s hospitals depend heavily on Medicaid, as high as 50-80% of their inpatient days are reimbursed by Medicaid. Cuts to Medicaid funding will mean cuts to available pediatric inpatient beds across the country, a trend we are already seeing with the closure of children’s hospitals nationally and regionally, including Tufts Children’s Hospital in 2022.
Limited inpatient pediatric capacity will stress our region for all children, even those on private insurance. This is an even scarier thought in Vermont where we only have one children’s hospital and a very limited number of pediatric inpatient and intensive care beds.
The new budget cuts proposed by the Senate relies heavily on reducing Medicaid income eligibility, increasing work requirements and limiting exemptions. Not only will many children lose their health insurance, millions of caregivers across the United States will lose their health care coverage, threatening the health and safety of our children.
Research shows that having even one uninsured family member is associated with worse health outcomes for caregivers and their children. The new budget proposal also includes limiting exemptions for caregivers to individuals with dependent children 14 years or younger leaving caregivers of older children without funds to care for them.
Our delegates, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Peter Welch and Rep. Becca Balint are fighting for our children in their action against cuts to Medicaid. But they can’t do it without your support.
The Senate is currently considering the largest cuts to federal health care programs in the history of Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, and they plan to act by July 4. This is an opportunity for you to lend your voice in a moment that matters. Contact Sen. Sanders and Sen. Welch with your stories. Give them the ammunition they need to fight for your health care and the health care of your children.
