On April 17, the American Academy of Family Physicians, in collaboration with the Partnership for Medicaid, sent a letter urging House and Senate leaders to make Medicaid a priority in its next legislative response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Medicaid is a source of coverage for one in five Americans and plays a key role in connecting individuals to testing and treatment for COVID-19. The letter urged Congress to ensure that a proportionate amount of the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund be allotted to all Medicaid providers financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The letter also called on Congress to further increase the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) to Medicaid by 5.8%, for a total increase of 12%, and to extend the length of this enhanced FMAP beyond the national emergency. The partnership outlined five policy proposals it said would strengthen the Medicaid program and ensure a strong safety net to protect the most vulnerable patients.