From: Hrccomm@aol.com Date: Wed, 18 Oct 1995 18:37:07 -0400 Subject: URGENT: Action Needed on Medicaid - important to PWA / HIV _________________________________________________________________ URGENT Action Alert from the Human Rights Campaign 1101 14th Street NW Washington, DC 20005 email: communications@hrcusa.org WWW: http://www.hrcusa.org _________________________________________________________________ URGENT MEDICAID ACTION ALERT! SENDING EMAIL MESSAGES TO CONGRESS IS FAST, EASY AND FREE THROUGH HRC'S ONLINE ACTION CENTER http://www.hrcusa.org/actncntr/ The Senate and House will vote on the Budget Reconciliation bill the week of October 23. This legislation will effectively dismantle the Medicaid program and turn it over to the states as a block grant with diminished federal resources and no federal guidance. Such an outcome will have devastating and life threatening consequences for thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS, other disable persons, poor women and children and low income senior citizens.It is simply unacceptable for this Congress to destroy the fundamental health safety net provided by the Medicaid program. WHY DOES MEDICAID MATTER TO THE AIDS COMMUNITY? Medicaid provides health coverage for 36 million poor Americans who do not have private health insurance. Medicaid covers a range of health care services which vary by state, but generally includes outpatient services, hospitalization and nursing home, diagnostic and laboratory tests, prescription drugs, and home health services. Medicaid is important to you because it is the only safety net in place around the country in case you or a loved one ever gets sick with an illness like AIDS that can leave you unemployed, or too sick to work. Medicaid guarantees you medical care. Medicaid pays nearly one-half (46 percent) of all AIDS-related medical costs for all people with AIDS; and 90 percent of costs for all children with AIDS. Without adequate Medicaid coverage, people with AIDS and their caregivers will be financially devastated. WHY SHOULD I BE CONCERNED NOW? The current Congressional leadership made a promise to balance the federal budget in seven years, while significantly increasing military spending and offering large tax cuts for wealthy Americans. To balance the budget, the Republican leadership has decided to cut basic health and social programs. One of those programs up for complete dismantling is Medicaid. All these changes to Medicaid are happening very fast without input from people or medical providers who will be most affected by drastic changes in the current program. WHAT DO I NEED TO DO? 1. Visit the Human Rights Campaign's Action Center online at *** http://www.hrcusa.org *** to send an instant e-mail to all of your members of Congress urging them to vote NO on the medicaid overhaul in the Budget Reconciliation Bill. 2. Email President Clinton and tell him "if the Budget Reconciliation bill passes Congress, VETO the bill." 3. Share this information with everyone you know. Have them e-mail, call and write the President, their Senators and Representatives. ###