Washington, D.C. — Today, Sens. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced a bill to close the Medicaid expansion coverage gap in the 12 remaining holdout states by providing eligible individuals with a federal fallback coverage option. Maura Calsyn, vice president of Health Policy at the Center for American Progress, released the following statement:
The push to close the Medicaid coverage gap is gaining significant momentum. A legislative fix now has bicameral support, including from key committee leadership, the Congressional Tri-Caucus, and grassroots activists who are making their voices heard this week in states all across the South.
As Congress prepares to vote on a budget resolution with reconciliation instructions, it is vital that budget writers include a comprehensive federal fallback option for the millions of low-income Americans—many of whom are Black, Latino, and other people of color—who have been unjustly denied access to affordable health coverage for nearly a decade at the hands of intransigent state leaders. Failing to do so would call into question Congress’ commitment to advancing racial equity in health care as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, please contact Colin Seeberger at [email protected] or 202-741-6292.