FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2025
Contact: Marie Johnson
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA) President and CEO Sr. Mary Haddad, RSM, issued the following statement after Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives released a proposal that would cut federal Medicaid funding by hundreds of billions of dollars and shift costs to states, leading to coverage losses for many of the communities we serve:
"We are deeply concerned that the current proposal unveiled in the House Energy and Commerce Committee to overhaul Medicaid still includes harmful policies and hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to the federal Medicaid program, threatening access to care for millions of Americans – particularly those in underserved areas where our member systems work every single day to provide quality, compassionate care. Changes to work reporting requirements, provider tax, state directed payments, and retroactive coverage are among the concerning policies in this legislation.
"With the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projecting that 8.6 million people will lose access to health insurance over the next decade as a result of this proposal, Congress has a moral obligation to consider the harm that such disastrous cuts would have on America's health safety net and the impacts this proposal would have for America's most vulnerable communities. Moreover, the cascading effects of lost coverage, including higher costs and greater strain on the system, will impact nearly all Americans – not just those who rely on Medicaid.
"As we have continued to state: Medicaid is not just a health program – it is a lifeline. It provides access to care for those who need it most – poor and vulnerable children, pregnant women, elderly, adults, and disabled individuals in our nation while ensuring their dignity. Congress should not take America down a dangerous path of drastically reducing access to health care in the United States. We will continue to work with House Republicans and all federal lawmakers to ensure our health safety net remains intact so that our health systems can continue to provide vital care to American patients and families."
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The Catholic Health Association of the United States is the national leadership organization of the Catholic health ministry, representing the largest nonprofit provider of health care services in the nation.
- 1 in 7 patients in the U.S. is cared for in a Catholic hospital each day.
- Catholic health care, which includes more than 2,200 hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, systems, sponsors, and related organizations, serves the full continuum of health care across our nation.