Kelly, Gallego, Stanton, Ansari Statement on New Republican Plan That Would Strip Health Coverage from Arizonans

Today, Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, and Representatives Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04) and Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ-03) released the following statement on the new House Republican plan to cut Medicaid and kick millions of Americans off their health insurance: 

“This Republican plan rips health care away from Arizonans who rely on it to survive, including kids, families with disabled children, and seniors in nursing homes. This is exactly what Republicans claimed they weren’t doing, and yet here they are moving forward with this dangerous plan. 

“Medicaid isn’t just a budget line. All across Arizona, we’ve heard from parents who won’t be able to pay for the pediatrician, seniors who won’t be able to fill prescriptions or stay in their nursing home, and health centers and hospitals at risk of shutting down.  

“We refuse to stand by while Republicans burn down our health care system just to hand out tax breaks to billionaires. We stand with Arizonans and will keep fighting back against these reckless cuts.” 

Background:  

The House Republican reconciliation package includes major changes to Medicaid, including a new work requirement for adults without dependents and more frequent eligibility checks for enrollees—policies that experts warn would create administrative burdens and lead to widespread coverage losses. Combined with provisions that increase out-of-pocket costs for individuals who purchase insurance through the ACA marketplace and make it harder for people to enroll, the Congressional Budget Office projects the package would result in at least 13.7 million more people being uninsured by 2034 compared to current law. 

In Arizona, where more than two million people are covered through Medicaid or ACA plans, these cuts could have a particularly devastating impact on rural and low-income communities—and on efforts to combat the opioid and fentanyl crises. 

Kelly has been sounding the alarm on the devastating impact Medicaid cuts would have on Arizona families. Over the past few months, he traveled across the state to hear directly from Arizonans—including parents, caregivers, and health care providers—about how they would be affected. At town halls in Scottsdale, Tucson, and Clarkdale, Kelly listened to stories from families who rely on AHCCCS to get life-saving care. He then brought those voices back to Washington, sharing them on the Senate floor to make clear what’s at stake.