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We urge you to not make drastic cuts to Medicaid

I am writing to express my concerns about the proposals to cut Medicaid as part of the budget reconciliation package. Medicaid is a vital payer for Virginia’s Community Health Centers (CHCs), as CHCs historically serve more residents that rely on public payers for coverage, more unemployment, and larger shares of low-income populations. A strong relationship exists between Medicaid coverage levels and the financial viability of CHCs. Medicaid expansion is associated with improved Community Health Center financial performance and substantially lower likelihoods of closure, especially in rural markets and counties with large numbers of uninsured adults before Medicaid expansion. Medicaid cuts would also shift health care costs onto families, many of whom already struggle with financial instability.

At the same time, I support the introduction of work requirements, as long as these requirements are implemented fairly and consider the diverse circumstances of those affected. Encouraging responsibility and helping individuals gain self-sufficiency can be beneficial, but we must ensure that the process is not overly complicated or burdensome. We should strive for a system that empowers individuals while still offering necessary support.

Without Medicaid, families would face higher out-of-pocket expenses, leading many to delay or forgo necessary treatments. This burden would worsen health outcomes and increase overall costs to the larger health care system as more patients will rely on the emergency department for care.

Medicaid cuts would particularly have lasting implications on (insert your health center name), including (list how your health center would be affected, including lost services or location closures) 

<INSERT PERSONAL MESSAGE ABOUT THE IMPACT OF POTENTIAL MEDICAID CUTS HERE>

I urge you to protect Medicaid funding and consider the impact that Medicaid cuts would have on Virginia’s families and Virginia’s healthcare infrastructure.