Governor Kotek holds Bend roundtable, decries proposed cuts to Medicaid and SNAP food programs
Barney Lerten
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Governor Tina Kotek convened a roundtable in Bend on Wednesday afternoon to hear from rural Oregon health care experts, providers and food system specialists about what she fears will be the severe, widespread impacts of proposed cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (known as SNAP).
“The proposed bill, sponsored by Republican lawmakers in Washington, D.C., will cut vital health care and food services for Oregonians in order to fund tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans,” Kotek’s office said in a news release after the event, which was followed by a news conference on the same issues.
KTVZ+ provided livestream coverage of both events, which you can view above.
During the news conference, Kotek said, “This isn’t about tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. It’s about what we do for our state.”
The event was held at Mosaic Community Health, whose CEO, Family Nurse Practitioner Megan Haase, told reporters she is “deeply concerned about the potential impacts” of cuts to Medicaid, a program that more than half of Mosaic’s 34,000 clients depend upon.
“Without Medicaid, many people we be forced to avoid or delay seeking care,” which Haase said will “actually cost more in the long run.”
Kotek said, “This is not the time to cut. This is the time to invest.” And she added that the impacts of SNAP benefit cuts for those in need could be far-reaching, to the point of some grocery stores closing.
“It’s a big deal,” she said. “And frankly, it’s not smart economic policy.”
Here’s the rest of a news release from the governor’s office about the roundtable event:
Governor Kotek said:
“More often than not, if you live in rural Oregon, it means traveling 30 miles or more to get your health care needs met. Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP threaten hospitals, clinics, medical offices, and services Oregonians depend on. These proposed cuts by Congressional Republicans put families who are planning to have children at risk, jeopardize health care access for kids, and could strip health insurance coverage from over 200,000 Oregonians.
“Today, I heard from caregivers of children who rely on the Oregon Health Plan. I wish every single member of Congress considering supporting the bill could have sat across from these folks today, because that’s who they were elected to answer to, not the ultra-wealthy who are getting tax breaks at the expense of children and families’ health care – especially in rural communities. To the 1 in 3 Oregonians who rely on Medicaid and SNAP: I will continue to fight against this proposal and uplift your voices at every turn.”
If the current proposal was signed into law, 100,000 to 200,000 Oregonians will likely lose coverage, resulting in $718 million to $1.4 billion in reduced federal funding coming to Oregon per year, or $8 billion to $16 billion over the next 10 years. New red tape that will burden nearly 500,000 Oregonians and require significant taxpayer dollars and new positions could cost more than $100 million to implement. Overall, Congress is poised to make accessing health care more difficult, more costly, and available to fewer Oregonians.
The proposed cuts threaten to take food off the table for Oregonians, place unsustainable financial burdens on the State, and risk the well-being of families and local economies. If passed, the legislation would dismantle SNAP’s federal-state structure, forcing Oregon to absorb $850 million in new costs per biennium and slashing food aid for families, children, seniors, and immigrants.
The Governor convened the following people Wednesday:
Andrea Carr, Medicaid and SNAP recipient
Dr. Logan Clausen, Chief Medical Officer, Central Oregon Pediatric Associates
Jeremy Davis, CEO, Grande Ronde Hospital
Kellie Frank, Harney Food Systems Coordinator
Sean Jessup, CEO, Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization
Dr. Jinnell Lewis, MD, (multiple employment), Presenting as a Full Spectrum Family Medicine Physician and Residency Leader
Megan Haase, CEO, Mosaic Community Health
Olivia Quiroz, Executive Director, Oregon Latino Health Coalition
Dr. Linda Selby, Chief Medical Officer, Harney District Hospital Family Care
Jenny Widder, Medicaid and SNAP recipient
“I appreciate Governor Kotek coming to Central Oregon to learn more about the impacts that loss of Medicaid and SNAP benefits would have on rural Oregonians,” Megan Haase, FNP and CEO of Mosaic Community Health, said. “I am deeply concerned about the potential impacts that proposed cuts to Medicaid would have on our patients and our entire Central Oregon community. More than half of our 34,000 patients rely on Medicaid for health coverage, including low-income families, children, people with disabilities, seniors, and pregnant women. Cuts to Medicaid will leave even more Central Oregonians without health insurance, moving us further away from our goal of a healthy community.”