At the core of DBSA is our belief that all people should have access to quality mental health care. More than three-quarters of American counties already face a dire shortage of access to behavioral health services, and the likely funding cuts under the budget resolution will leave the one in five Americans who rely on Medicaid even more vulnerable.

DBSA believes everyone should be able to find affordable, accessible mental health services when, where, and how they need them, and these actions directly threaten that vision. Advocating on behalf of peers living with mood disorders is more crucial than ever. We urge the U.S. Senate to oppose any budget resolution that would endanger Medicaid and implore our partners and supporters to take action with us.

What is the budget resolution and why is it concerning?

• Calls for House Energy and Commerce Committee to cut at least $880 billion from their programs, which include Medicaid
  • Can’t come close to cutting that amount without “drastic and harmful changes to the Medicaid program”
  • This cut is proposed to accommodate Trump administration’s drastic tax cuts

Why is this concerning?

• More than 72 million people rely on Medicaid
• Roughly one in five Americans rely on Medicaid
• Around 10 states have “trigger laws” that reverse their Medicaid expansion if the federal government decreases funding
• The 40 states that participate in Medicaid would have to:
  • Take on the extra costs to preserve coverage for millions of people
  • Make cuts to Medicaid coverage, or
  • Cut other large government programs to offset costs

Potential Impact of Cuts

1. States continue to fund Medicaid expansions despite the greater cost, leading to a 17% increase in state Medicaid spending over 10 years
2. States drop Medicaid expansions entirely due to unaffordability, resulting in 20 million people losing their insurance coverage

DBSA’s Stance

• All people should have access to quality mental health care. The threat of leaving tens of millions without coverage is a direct threat to this vision.
• The U.S. is already facing a critical shortage of access to affordable, accessible mental health services. This would leave even more Americans without access to services.
• DBSA is committed to advocating for health equity for all. Medicaid was created to ensure the most vulnerable Americans could access health services.
  • Almost half of all adults living in poverty rely on Medicaid, and more than 80% of children living in poverty rely on Medicaid
  • Eliminating their coverage would bring our health equity disparities to a crisis point

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