Letter to the Standard's Editor

To the Editor:

Many of our neediest citizens are in danger of losing the help they count on every day. This month, the U.S. House and Senate will each be voting on budget resolutions that could cut at least $15 billion from Medicaid. This would be devastating for our elderly and citizens with disabilities.

Almost everyone has a friend or loved one receiving Medicaid services, and the number of recipients will grow in the coming years, as Iowa’s population grows more elderly. Medicaid is an effective program which often allows recipients to stay in their own home, receiving more affordable services, rather than more costly facility-based services.

Certainly, budgets must be balanced. But cutting these necessary services for our least fortunate citizens is not the answer. Cutting Medicaid is like driving a car without oil; it might work for a little while, but eventually it will cost us all much more.

I encourage you to call your Senators, and urge them to vote for an amendment being sponsored by Senators Smith and Bingaman, to strike Medicaid cuts from the Senate budget resolution.

To contact Iowa Senators Charles Grassley and Tom Harkin (or any state’s Senators) you may call the switchboard at 1-800-828-0498. This vote will be happening soon, so please pick up the phone now.

Thank you!

Richard Wicks

Director, Mosaic

Waukon