WASHINGTON—On the 60th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) is warning that recent cuts in the GOP tax and spending bill will devastate health care for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and other vulnerable populations across the country. For six decades, these programs have formed the backbone of the American health care system, covering 134 million Americans and sustaining hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics nationwide. They are especially vital for AANHPIs: nearly one in four AANHPI children are insured through Medicaid, and millions of immigrant and low-income seniors rely on Medicare as their sole source of coverage.

The $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) represent the largest rollback of health care in U.S. history. These cuts threaten to strip coverage from over 15 million people, drive up costs for millions more, and jeopardize the survival of safety-net providers that serve immigrant and underserved communities. Community health centers that offer culturally and linguistically appropriate services to AANHPIs are particularly at risk, raising the prospect of entire neighborhoods losing their only source of affordable care.

Juliet K. Choi, president and CEO of APIAHF issued the following:

“Medicare and Medicaid have been lifelines for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander families for generations. For many in our communities, especially immigrant seniors and children with limited English proficiency, these programs are the difference between receiving care and going without. By gutting them, Congress and the President are dismantling the very safety net that keeps families healthy and hospitals open, all to benefit billionaires and large corporations. These cuts will deepen existing health disparities and put culturally competent care even further out of reach.

“As costs rise and access shrinks, many immigrant families — particularly those in mixed-status households — will delay or forgo treatment entirely. This will exacerbate health inequities and reverse decades of progress in improving access for underserved communities. Medicare and Medicaid have ensured that generations of Americans, including millions of AANHPIs and other vulnerable groups, could access life-saving services. After 60 years of progress, these cuts threaten to drag the nation backward, placing politics and profits ahead of people’s health.”

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Achieving health equity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities through law, policy and practice.