The Burlington County Commissioners have unanimously passed a resolution opposing federal legislation that proposes significant cuts to Medicaid and other essential health programs. This move comes in response to a reconciliation bill aimed at offsetting tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans by reducing funding for healthcare services.
The resolution urges New Jersey’s congressional representatives, including U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim, to vote against the proposed changes. Commissioner Director Dr. Felicia Hopson stated, “More than 70,000 Burlington County residents depend on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for their health care, and thousands more rely on the Affordable Care Act’s expanded tax credits to keep their private coverage affordable or SNAP to meet basic food needs. We cannot remain silent when these residents are being put at risk.”
The resolution highlights that over 800,000 New Jersey residents benefit from Medicaid, CHIP, and ACA expansion coverage. Additionally, it points out that 52% of the state’s elderly and disabled population relies on Medicaid. The Affordable Care Act has enabled over 500,000 additional New Jersey residents to enroll in Medicaid.
Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Allison Eckel emphasized the potential negative impact of these legislative changes: “Making changes to these programs to increase the bureaucratic red tape and requirements so that individuals and families lose their coverage or benefits is unconscionable and will cause severe harm to Burlington County families, communities, hospitals and our economy.”
According to reports from the Commonwealth Fund and George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health, broad-based reductions in Medicaid could lead to a $3.36 billion decrease in economic output for New Jersey.
The resolution underscores Burlington County’s commitment to protecting vulnerable populations from losing access to critical resources and services.
