Big news tonight as lawmakers look to approve a National Budget there’s been a proposal to potentially cut significant funds from the National Medicaid Program.
Reporter Brock Owens has reactions from several lawmakers about the proposal tonight and what impact they say it could have on Pennsylvanians and Americans.
There are over three million people in Pennsylvania that rely on Medicaid to get the medical treatment they need.
A lawmaker in Pennsylvania and an ER Doctor Arvind Venkat says if these cuts get passed he expects more people without insurance to rush to the ER leaving many other Americans with an added financial burden.
“And that is the future that we are looking at if these type of cuts go through. The amount of uncompensated care will go up, it will threaten the viability of our hospitals. And as a result, all Pennsylvanians will see increased
health care costs and poor health care outcome because those costs will be passed onto all of us, and I see that explicitly in the emergency department.
But Senator Dave McCormick says the Trump Administration’s efforts to cut wasteful government spending is necessary for the country’s future.
“We’re on a path that is totally unsustainable for our kids, so we need to make dramatic cost reductions in the cost of our government. In terms of Medicaid, the focus in my opinion should be waste, fraud, and abuse.
Pennsylvania Rep G.T. Thompson also reacts pointing out waste, fraud, and abuse, and adding he will listen to ideas to strengthen the Medicaid Program.
Representative John Joyce also says he is looking to support Medicaid’s mission throughout the process of building the budget.