An Open Letter on Proposed Medicaid Cuts

From Chris Tonniges, President and CEO,Lutheran Family Services

At Lutheran Family Services (LFS) in Nebraska and Southwest Iowa, we provide a safety net for the most vulnerable in our communities. We rely on a network of state and federal assistance, grants, and the generosity of donors to fund this critical work. It helps those struggling to find normalcy, but it also significantly lowers the risk of incidents that put the community itself at risk.

Our teams work in tandem with law enforcement to prevent escalation of emergency situations, then deliver necessary follow up services to the person in crisis. As these programs have grown and expanded, we've seen continual progress in preventing tragedy and intervening before situations threaten others. These are the stories you don't see on the news, simply because we stopped a bad thing from happening.

Of the thousands of clients we work with every year, at least half receive some level of Medicaid support. That number is much higher in our Children's Behavioral Services programming. We provide therapy and treatment for children and teenagers in the foster care system, those who are recovering from sexual abuse or other trauma, and those struggling with addictions -- and 80% of these children have no other financial support beyond Medicaid.

We’ve also seen the argument of a percentage of “able-bodied men” getting Medicaid. “Able-bodied” does not equate to mental wellness. If we’ve learned anything in the past few years, please let it be this: Mental health is just as important as physical health, and we must treat it as such.

The expansion of Medicaid ten years ago is what has made this level of holistic care possible. It has nurtured a collaborative spirit within our non-profit partners -- a defined solution that ensures that those who need help can get it before problems escalate. It is the way that our communities have chosen to wrap their arms around the most vulnerable and needy. We hear quite often how people know "someone" is doing the work, but they just aren't sure who. It's us. The non-profits like LFS who are addressing difficult issues on the front lines and one-on-one -- issues like substance use, mental health, preventing homelessness, and hunger.

Every day, this is our focus. However, if Medicaid goes away again, the problems come back. The success of each individual who has overcome their challenges will dim against the new realities. Please help us get the message to decision-makers that tightly budgeted and lean organizations like ours fully understand the need to eliminate waste in government spending, but people's lives? This is not a sacrifice any of us should be willing to make.