VFA Opposes American Health Care Act of 2017
A vote is scheduled for Thursday, March 23, 2017 in the House of Representatives on the American Health Care Act of 2017. VFA strongly opposes this legislation, especially as it concerns medicaid funding - a vital resource for youth in foster care, those waiting to be adopted, and the families that foster and adopt. Read VFA's official letter to the Chair and Co-Chair of the House Budget Committee. The letter starts...
Dear Chairperson Black and Ranking Member Yarmuth:
Voice for Adoption (VFA) and our 17 member agencies are writing to express our opposition to the American Health Care Act. We are deeply worried that it will negatively affect children and families, particularly those involved with the child welfare system, including children and families in foster care and adoption who are our primary concern.
We are particularly concerned about the proposals related to Medicaid, given that children in foster care, children adopted or placed in guardianship from care, and youth who age out of care often rely on Medicaid to meet their often-significant health care needs. We strongly oppose any efforts to create either a Medicaid block grant or a per capita cap that would limit future Medicaid coverage based on a predetermined budget allocation rather than the health needs and the number of children and families who require care. Children and youth who have experienced trauma—that is, virtually all children who have been in foster care—typically have higher physical, mental health, and behavioral health care needs, and restrictions on funding are likely to have a disproportionate effect on these very vulnerable young people.
