The Trump administration announced today a plan to allow states to change Medicaid funding to block grants — which would amount to a cut in Medicaid funding. The Protect Our Care Illinois coalition is opposed to this plan because if it were enacted here, it would drastically decrease health care access for people living in poverty who are among the most marginalized in our state. Medicaid block grants threaten healthcare access by cutting the funding of this life-saving health insurance program. Illinoisans cannot afford this attack on healthcare.

“The administration’s decision will gut access to services that keep those most in need, including people living with chronic conditions like opioid addiction and mental illness, from engaging in health care,” said Logan Charlesworth, Protect Our Care Illinois’ Coalition Manager. Medicaid covers 1 in 4 Illinoisans, and nearly one-third of Illinois’ Medicaid Expansion population is living with a mental health or substance use condition.

Additionally, all Medicaid block grant proposals and similar reforms would dramatically cut federal funding and shift costs to the states. This is an attack on people’s healthcare, and would harm Medicaid funding. Medicaid is a popular, 55-year-old program that provides health insurance to tens of millions of Americans.

The Trump administration’s Medicaid cuts would harm Illinoisans’ health, the stability of our economy, and the ability of state government to fund Medicaid and other priorities, like education and social services. Protect Our Care Illinois calls on our state elected leaders, including Governor Pritzker, to firmly and quickly denounce the Trump administration’s Medicaid Block Grants plan.