Providence, RI – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo today called on Congress to defend Medicaid against ongoing Republican efforts to take health insurance away from millions of Americans. With Women & Infants Hospital as the backdrop, Whitehouse, Magaziner, and Amo highlighted how Rhode Island moms and babies rely on Medicaid for pregnancy, childbirth, and family planning, among many other services from nursing home care to substance use disorder treatment. Medicaid covers 44 percent of births in Rhode Island.
“A huge share of births at Women & Infants are covered by Medicaid, and we simply cannot allow health care to be taken away from expecting moms and infants because Republicans want to give tax breaks to their billionaire friends,” said Whitehouse, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid. “I’m committed to doing everything in my power to protect Medicaid for the Rhode Islanders who rely on it for childbirth, addiction treatment, nursing home care, and so much more.”
“Medicaid covers four in ten births in Rhode Island – care now at risk to fund tax breaks for billionaires. Republicans’ plan to slash $880 billion from Medicaid would put parents, children, and the health care facilities they rely on in danger,” said Magaziner. “At Women & Infants Hospital, where thousands of Rhode Island babies—including my own—take their first breath, we’re standing together to fight these reckless cuts and protect essential access to care.”
“If Republicans proceed with their devastating plans to gut Medicaid, vulnerable Rhode Islanders will suffer. Medicaid covers an estimated 45% of births in Rhode Island and helps approximately half of Rhode Island children access primary and preventive care,” said Amo. “Across our state, this essential program helps provide health care and life-saving services to more than 300,000 residents — including children, mothers and newborns, adults with disabilities, and nursing home residents. I’m proud to stand with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman Seth Magaziner to protect Medicaid from Republican attacks.”
In February, Republicans passed a budget plan directing the congressional committee responsible for overseeing Medicaid to make $880 billion in cuts. Last week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) confirmed the cuts Republicans are proposing can only be found by slashing Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
CBO’s finding follows reports of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) officials gaining access to key payment and contracting systems at the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS), which administers Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Medicaid provides funding to states for services at nursing homes, doctors’ offices, and hospitals for low-income elderly adults, children, pregnant women, and people with disabilities. Medicaid also provides critical home health and school-based services as well as addiction and mental health services.
“Medicaid is vital to the health and safety of millions of Americans. Every day, Care New England treats patients who are able to come to us because of the insurance Medicaid provides,”said Michael Wagner, MD, President and CEO, Care New England Health System. “Cuts to this program could result in many Rhode Islanders losing access to this crucial health care coverage, which would likely have a severely negative impact on patient care and treatment. We thank RI’s congressional delegation for helping bring attention to this critical issue both here at home and in Washington.”
Nearly 80 million Americans – including over 330,000 Rhode Islanders or about 30percent of the state’s population – are enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, making it the largest public health insurance program in the United States.
“As President of the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, I am profoundly concerned that Medicaid funding is at risk,” said pediatrician Peter R. Pogacar, MD.“Currently, 56% of the children in our state are covered by Medicaid and rely on the program for access to their doctors. If Medicaid funding is decreased even slightly our children will end up being hurt. Currently, Congress is looking to ‘find’ $880 billion to $2.3 trillion in cuts over ten years. Removing millions of dollars from Rhode Island Medicaid is exactly the opposite of what we need our federal government to be considering.”
