Medicaid cuts by Republicans in Congress will hurt Long Island's children

Congressional Republicans are considering cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Pediatricians like me want them to understand very clearly: Any cuts to Medicaid and CHIP will hurt all of America’s children, including those who live here on Long Island.

Medicaid is the largest single source of health care coverage in the United States, serving roughly 20% of the population. Medicaid and CHIP provide health coverage for nearly half of New York’s children, including some 150,000 children on Long Island. These programs provide the care children need to be healthy and thrive, including coverage for their births, preventive routine care, immunizations and developmental assessments, and dental, hearing and vision services. In addition, Medicaid kicks in when private insurance won’t cover home care and long-term services for children with special health care needs.

We know that children who receive Medicaid are more likely to be healthier in both childhood and adulthood than their uninsured peers, more likely to graduate high school and college, and more likely to be employed, earn higher wages and contribute higher taxes.

Medicaid also significantly funds local children’s hospitals, pediatric specialty care and pediatric offices here on Long Island — all of which would struggle without that funding, thereby threatening the sustainability of the excellent pediatric care to which all children on Long Island have access.

Many might also not be aware that should a family face a medical calamity or serious medical condition associated with prolonged hospitalization, Medicaid can help cover the cost of a child’s complex medical care if private insurance has been exhausted or has limits.

Members of Congress have nevertheless decided that they will somehow find an unsubstantiated $880 billion of waste, fraud and abuse to cut from Medicaid — which multiple oversight and efficiency programs have never identified or even suggested exist.

There is simply no way to cut that level of funding from Medicaid without significantly impacting the health and well-being of America’s children.

Claims that enforcing work requirements and not funding Medicaid for immigrants here illegally will save billions are incorrect. Nearly all Medicaid enrollees already work or are exempt because they have a disability, are in school, or care for a dependent family member. Immigrants here illegally are already barred from receiving federal Medicaid funds.

Congressional Republicans are also considering changes to the way in which Medicaid funding to states is determined. Medicaid is funded through a partnership between the state and the federal government. In fact, 59% of federal funding sent to New York State is for Medicaid. It is critical to understand that any decrease in the federal government’s share would cause an increased burden on states. To continue to provide care to the children and families who rely on it, states like New York would have to cut other areas of the budget — education is the next largest state expenditure — or raise taxes.

Slashing Medicaid funding would not be simply a budget cut, but a cut to a lifeline for 150,000 children in families across Long Island who are our neighbors and friends. These cuts would be devastating to our communities. If our congressional representatives want to fund tax cuts for the wealthy, they must not do it on the backs of some of the most vulnerable members of our society.

This guest essay reflects the views of Dr. Eve Meltzer Krief, a pediatrician from Centerport and legislative advocacy cochair of the New York American Academy of Pediatrics Chapter 2.