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title: "Avisery Alert: Effective Messages to Increase Support for Medicaid"
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Build support for Medicaid through tested messages

| View in browser Empowering people to thrive as they age April 3, 2025 Avisery Alert: Effective Messages to Increase Support for Medicaid   The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a budget resolution that threatens Medicaid by directing the Committee on Energy and Commerce, who oversee Medicaid funding, to cut their budget by 800 billion dollars. Experts say the budget cuts will most likely drastically reduce Medicaid funding.   As the budget negotiations move to the Senate this week and beyond, Medicaid supporters can still take action to defend the program. One effective strategy involves using tested messaging to highlight why Medicaid needs protection, particularly with audiences that favor the proposed budget cuts. In this alert, Avisery shares some guidance on effective messaging to use when talking to colleagues, clients, elected officials, family and friends about protecting Medicaid from potential cuts.  Messages that Change Minds About Medicaid Earlier this year, the Cost and Coverage Collaborative and PerryUndem, two communications and public opinion research organizations, hosted focus groups with individuals who support cuts to Medicaid. Both organizations tested messages about Medicaid to see which ones effectively changed the participants’ minds. Below is a summary of effective messaging topics. Further details on this work is available to Cost and Coverage Collaborative members. Membership is free. Message #1:  Medicaid Serves Priority Populations   Medicaid provides health insurance to low-income adults, children and parents, pregnant individuals, and people with disabilities. These are the individuals directly affected by cuts to Medicaid funding.     Message #2:  Medicaid Cuts Will Terminate Health Insurance for Millions   Rushed cuts to Medicaid funding hurt every individual who gets their health insurance through Medicaid, including seniors and children. These cuts can lead to individuals losing all their healthcare coverage or losing services such as long-term care and nursing home stays, which is worrying in the face of rising healthcare costs.     Message #3:  Proposals to Cut Medicaid Will Shift Costs to Already Strapped State Budgets   Moving to block grants (when the state receives a fixed amount of funding for Medicaid) cuts Medicaid funding and shifts the responsibility to pay for Medicaid to state governments. If state governments cannot fill the funding gap left by block grants, seniors, children, and people with disabilities may have to compete for funding. Additionally, block grants may lead to increases in state taxes to fill the funding gap. Block grants will also increase the administrative burden, creating more costs and a slower system. Other proposals being considered to cut Medicaid, such as reducing the federal matching rate or restricting states’ use of provider taxes, will also shift costs to the states.     Message #4: Proposals to Cut Medicaid Ignore True Causes of Increased Health Care Costs  Congress focusing on cutting Medicaid funding does not address one of the significant issues that make our healthcare system so expensive: the high healthcare costs set by drug and insurance companies.   Calls to Action In addition to using effective messages to bolster Medicaid support, additional ways that Medicaid supporters can act to defend against program cuts include the following:      Accountability for Members of Congress  Contact your senators as soon as possible and urge them to protect Medicaid funding. Click here to find your senator and how to contact them.    If you are in a district where a congressperson voted to advance the budget resolution, you can call and tell staff that you are disappointed that your congressperson would take away healthcare from seniors, children, working families, and people with disabilities. Click here to find out how your congressperson voted.     Write an Op-Ed  Volunteer to write a letter to the editor in a local paper in a district where a Representative voted for the budget resolution, using the messaging guidance above. If you need assistance, Avisery can provide guidance using a simple letter to the editor tool. Please email avisery@ageoptions.org for more information.      Share Your Medicaid Story  Aids Foundation Chicago (AFC) seeks Medicaid customers to share a video recording of their story to help support advocacy efforts. AFC will provide storytelling and recording assistance, along with compensation for the Medicaid customer’s time. Click here to see the flyer.       If you have any questions or need help counseling older adults and adults with disabilities on Medicare, Medicaid, and other health benefits programs, please reach out to Avisery at avisery@ageoptions.org or 708-628-3440.    Visit the Avisery Website About Avisery Avisery by AgeOptions provides tools and support to professionals serving older adults and people with disabilities, enabling them to help their clients access healthcare coverage that allows them to thrive as they age. AgeOptions, 1048 Lake Street, Suite 300, Oak Park,IL,60301,United States,(800) 699-9043 Unsubscribe Manage Preferences |
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