By Henry L. Abrons, M.D., M.P.H.
San Francisco Chronicle, Letters, March 9, 2025
Why are Republicans even talking about cutting Medicaid? Donāt they realize that Medicaid is a lifeline to health care for 15 million Californians and over 70 million Americans?
The Republican leadership claims that there is āfraud, waste and abuseā in federal health insurance programs that need to be eliminated.
But fraud and abuse in the Medicaid program donāt add up to much, so the cutters will attack Medicaid eligibility, benefits and provider reimbursements.
Republicans have ignored the enormous savings from bringing all health insurance and health care delivery under a nonprofit program.
Economic research shows that a national single-payer health care program could save over $600 billion per year while making access universal, lowering costs and expanding benefits to include dental care, prescription drugs and even long-term care.
In essence, enacting a single-payer program would be the equivalent of the huge tax cut that the Republicans are promising, but it would go primarily to working families instead of the billionaires.
The specter of cuts to Medicaid has sent tremors through all 50 states and members of Congress are reacting. This could intensify pressure on Californiaās nine Republican House members to insist on saving Medicaid in the budget reconciliation process.
If Republicans could set politics aside and focus on fiscal responsibility, they would defend Medicaid, improve health care and stop wasting taxpayer money.