Protecting Medicaid

As of October 2024, 72.1 million Americans, more than 20% of the U.S. population, are enrolled in Medicaid (1).

Access to Medicaid benefits has been shown to improve health outcomes, as well as economic outcomes for eligible Americans. Medicaid access is especially important for individuals that rely on prostheses and/or orthoses to perform activities of daily living and to participate in therapeutic recreational activities. Given that Medicaid programs are crucial to disabled and financially challenged children and adults, funding reductions to these programs will be devastating to this population. Additionally, Medicaid provides financial protection to patients and healthcare providers. Finally, “the Congressional Budget Office estimates that long-term fiscal effects (higher income and tax revenues) of Medicaid spending on children can offset half or more of the initial Medicaid spending.”(2).

For these reasons, it is of great importance to protect Medicaid and its recipients. Please take a few moments to automatically email your legislators to tell them you support protecting Medicaid funding. The more we make our voices heard, the more likely we are to create positive change.

If you have any questions, contact Joe McTernan, Director of Health Policy and Advocacy at jmcternan@AOPAnet.org.