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Statement of ACAP CEO Margaret A. Murray on Draft Health Provisions of the Build Back Better Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 10, 2021
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jeff Van Ness, (202) 204-7515, jvanness@communityplans.net
STATEMENT OF ACAP CEO MARGARET A. MURRAY ON DRAFT HEALTH PROVISIONS OF THE BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
WASHINGTON—Margaret A. Murray, CEO of the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), issued the following statement on the health provisions of draft language from the majority of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce. The language includes 12-month continuous eligibility for all children who qualify for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), as well as 12 months’ continuous coverage postpartum for all who give birth:
“It’s hard to overstate how pleased we are that the Democrats on the House Energy & Commerce Committee have proposed these protections going forward for children and people who gave birth. For more than a decade, ACAP has led the way in calling for 12-month continuous eligibility for all who qualify for Medicaid and CHIP.”
“Currently, people often lose their Medicaid coverage due to temporary fluctuations in income, lost mail, or even missed phone calls. This “churn” endangers the health and well-being of the vulnerable populations served by Medicaid. We commissioned research that estimates that eliminating churn for kids would lead to 585,000 more children getting at least one routine checkup, and 174,000 children getting the specialty care they need each year.
“Last year, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Act, which conditioned temporary enhanced Medicaid funding on maintaining continuous coverage for all Medicaid enrollees for the duration of the COVID pandemic emergency. Keeping this coverage for kids and for women who just gave birth is a tremendous first step.
“We are also delighted that Congress has shored up CHIP by making it permanent, and are happy to see that Medicaid coverage will begin for justice-connected populations 30 days prior to their release from incarceration. Both provisions will bring needed stability to Medicaid and CHIP coverage for these populations. We also support closing the coverage gap in Medicaid, as this draft proposes, in states that have not yet adopted the expansion set forth in the Affordable Care Act.
“We look forward to working with Congress to assure that all these provisions become the law of the land.”
About ACAP:
ACAP represents 78 health plans, which collectively provide health coverage to more than 20 million people. Safety Net Health Plans serve their members through Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Marketplace and other publicly-sponsored health programs. For more information, visit www.communityplans.net.
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