Hospitals Serving Black Communities Face Growing Pressure As Lawmakers Consider How To Fund War, ICE

A major federal spending debate is underway in Congress, and the result could potentially impact the vast majority of the members’ constituents. 

As lawmakers consider how to fund a war with Iran (and ICE), proposals to reduce funding for lifesaving healthcare could soon become reality, according to Axios. 

The report notes that some Republican lawmakers are weighing cuts to programs like Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act as part of a larger effort to offset new spending. President Donald Trump mentioned the matter during a press conference earlier this week.

Independent analyses suggest that proposed changes to Medicaid could put coverage at risk for millions of people; one estimate from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that shifting eligibility and work requirements could put roughly 36 million Medicaid enrollees at risk of losing coverage under various proposals. 

For Black communities, the stakes are especially high.

A report from the NAACP shows that Black Americans continue to face persistent gaps in health coverage, access to providers and overall health outcomes, driven in large part by systemic inequities across the social determinants of health. Researchers warn that reductions in federal health care support could deepen those disparities, particularly in communities already facing barriers to care.

Source: Hospitals Serving Black Communities Face Growing Pressure As Lawmakers Consider How To Fund War, ICE