 |
| Wilson Works for Medicaid |
April 18, 2005 |
| |
Read here for Wilson Medicaid letter
Adelante Development Center, Inc.
New Mexico Health Care Association
Family Voices
The ARC of New Mexico
Alzheimer’s Association of New Mexico
Presbyterian Healthcare Services
House Restores Medicaid Funds
Wilson is Fighting for Medicaid, say advocates for NM’s Poor
(Text from release by New Mexico Healthcare Providers & Medicaid Advocates)
Albuquerque, NM – Several advocates for New Mexico’s poor gathered today to thank Rep. Heather Wilson for work she’s doing in Congress to preserve funding for our nation’s largest health insurance program, Medicaid. They say Wilson has taken a leadership role in the U.S. Congress to protect Medicaid funding, even fighting against her own party. That, they say, deserves thanks and encouragement. A cross-section of people affected by the Medicaid program gathered in Albuquerque today to show their appreciation. Representatives of children’s groups, seniors groups, and advocacy groups for people with disabilities rallied to show their appreciation, presenting Wilson with a huge card and a human banner that spelled “T-H-A-N-K-U-H-E-A-T-H-E-R”.
 “Medicaid protects the most vulnerable citizens of our country. Adelante wants to thank Rep. Wilson for taking a strong leadership position in Congress, to ensure that reforming Medicaid does not hurt people who depend on this program,” said Mike Kivitz, President and CEO of Adelante. Kivitz, along with other advocates, organized this morning’s press conference. “Adelante appreciates Rep. Wilson`s understanding of the needs of people with disabilities, and the critical role that Medicaid plays in so many lives.”
According to Linda Sechovec, executive director of the New Mexico Health Care Association that represents nursing homes and other long term care facilities, "Medicaid is the single largest payer of long term care services in our state and the $20 billion proposed Medicaid budget reductions at the national level would directly translate to services being cut and a threat to quality of health care for the frailest New Mexicans." She went on to say, "Congresswoman Wilson`s leadership in creating a bipartisan Medicaid Commission to study Medicaid reforms is well-reasoned and demonstrates her habit of standing up for what is best for New Mexico.”
“From immunizing newborns to providing long-term care for our seniors, Medicaid is an essential safety net for hundreds of thousands of New Mexicans. We are grateful that Congresswoman Wilson and Senator Bingaman have put the issue of Medicaid funding front and center in the federal budget process,” said Jim Hinton, president and CEO for Presbyterian Healthcare Services.
“Close to 60,000 children in New Mexico have a chronic condition or a disability,” says Polly Arango, co-founder of Family Voices, a national grassroots network based in Albuquerque that speaks on behalf of this country’s 9.4 million children with special health care needs. “More than 40,000 Family Voices members nationwide understand that our kids require health care in order to survive. Medicaid, either as a primary insurance source or as a supplement to a family’s private insurance, makes it possible for families to do what is right for our children. Medicaid is the heart that keeps the lifeblood of health care for our sons and daughters flowing. Therefore, Family Voices thanks Congresswoman Wilson for her courage in fighting Medicaid cuts, despite tremendous pressure from those who don’t know any better.
“The increasing aging population is increasing the number of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. It is this disease that is the driving force behind the increase in Medicaid cost of the elderly, explains Ronald Lucchino, Phd. Lucchino is the Director of Policy for the Alzheimer’s Association of New Mexico. “The question should not be how to cut Medicaid, which will bring great hardship to the over 100 thousand family caregivers in New Mexico .The question should be how do we control the rate of Medicaid growth without sacrificing quality of life. The Alzheimer’s Association of New Mexico, with 35 thousand residents with Alzheimer’s disease supported by over 100 thousand families fully and strongly support Congresswoman Wilson’s move not to cut Medicaid funding but to do a comprehensive study to determine how we can control the growth of Medicaid.” |
|
|
|