Searching for smart, safe news you can TRUST?
Support safe, smart, REAL journalism. Sign up for our Axios AM & PM newsletters and get smarter, faster.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Denver news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Des Moines news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Tampa Bay news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Charlotte news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Sen. Ron Wyden joined the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO) to call on the Senate to vote against the GOP's Better Care Reconciliation Act, saying that its Medicaid cuts will disproportionately affect American seniors. "We've got to kill a really bad bill," Wyden said during a call with reporters this morning.
The LCAO opposes the per capita caps in the Senate health care bill. These caps would limit the funds that the federal government contributes to states for Medicaid, leaving states to bear the burden of health care costs. And many seniors are in need of long-term care, which is especially costly. Caps could force states to roll back Medicaid services.
Why it matters:
Medicaid currently supports about 6 million seniors. Marsha Greenfield, VP of Legislative Affairs at LeadingAge, said this number is expected to more than double in the near future. She called Medicaid "the default for seniors who have exhausted their resources."