WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Budget Committee began to mark up their budget resolution for Fiscal Year 2025. It contains significant cuts in discretionary spending that would threaten critical health care programs, such as Medicaid, that are essential to cancer patients and their families. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network opposed such cuts in a statement for the record submitted to the committee. The statement reads in part:
“Medicaid is the critical state–federal health insurance program that serves millions of the most economically vulnerable Americans – including over 37 million children – many undergoing cancer treatment and cancer survivors. In fact, in 2023, 10% of adults in America with a history of cancer relied on Medicaid for their health care – and this rate is double (20%) among those with a history of cancer in rural areas. One-in-three childhood cancer patients rely on the program to access essential treatments.”
The statement goes on to note:
“As the Budget Committee considers instructions to the Energy and Commerce Committee to enact policies that result in savings of at least $880 billion over ten years, we are concerned that such cuts could harm access to the Medicaid program.
“Reductions in federal payment rates, block grants or caps in federal spending would mean states would have to pay a greater share of program funding from their already tight budgets or make cuts to Medicaid. Faced with funding shortfalls, states would likely cap overall enrollment, cut coverage for people in certain eligibility groups (including those with cancer), increase cost sharing, and/or reduce health benefits.”
The statement also urges the committee to enact policies to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits citing that, if not extended, as many as 5 million people would become uninsured. Estimations show that 300,000 individuals with a history of cancer and roughly 2 million individuals with at least one chronic condition would also lose coverage.
Read the full statement here.