The Jewish Council For Public Affairs (“JCPA”), in collaboration with the Jewish Federations of North America (“JFNA”), has compiled a list of activities that you can do to influence the current legislative debate over Medicaid block grants. A full toolkit can be found here. For each of these suggestions, we encourage you to participate and/or inform your Social Action/Tikkun Olam committee so that committee members themselves can take action:
- Educate yourself on the issue - Please read this source sheet and this JFNA background piece on what capping Medicaid spending would mean. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities also put together this report on the effect a block grant would have on states.
- Participate in a site visit - Many Members of Congress and state representatives are not familiar with how Medicaid dollars are actually used in their own communities. You, or a member of your Social Action committee, might consider participating in a site visit, sponsored by your local federation or other community agency, to a hospital, long-term care community, home and community-based service provider, nursing home, or vocational agency.
- Submit an op-ed on Medicaid to your local paper - There is no better way to raise the profile of an issue than to have an article written about it in your local newspaper. Members of Congress and state representatives read the op-ed pages of their local newspapers every single day. The JFNA has put together this op-ed template for you to use. If you need help adapting this to your local needs please contact the JCPA’s Communications Associate Ben Suarato.
- Have your Social Action committee send out an action alert - Members of Congress and state representatives need to hear directly from their constituents that they want Medicaid to be protected. At some point over the next few weeks, have your Social Action committee send out an action alert to your constituents. Here is a link to the JCPA website that enables you to contact your local representatives. And here is a sample letter to Gene Sperling, National Economic Council Director for President Obama and the executive branch point-person on Medicaid budget negotiations.
- Consider directly contacting your Members of Congress and state elected and appointed officials - Many of you have cultivated relationships with your local elected officials. Please consider contacting them directly, whether formally or informally, to explain how deleterious the consequences of a block grant Medicaid system would be to your congregants and their loved ones.