Indiana Family to Family

A member of FV Indiana will be traveling to Capitol Hill next Monday to talk to our Representatives about how important Medicaid is to Hoosier families raising children who have special health care needs and disabilities. We need you to share YOUR voice between now and Monday so that our representatives hear from as many people as possible, numbers matter! Please take a few minutes to call or email : Senator Lugar and Senator Coats and your Representative in the House. You can find their contact information online using the Senate Directory and the House Directory All members can be reached by call the switch board, 202-224-312. Just say you’re calling to urge the Member to make sure Medicaid is protected in any budget agreement. (They are probably getting lots of calls about Medicare, so make sure they understand you are talking about Medicaid.) If you wish to share additional information with them please consider the following. Approximately 266,494 children in Indiana – or

Family Voices shares this information with its members so they can compare plan eligibility and cost to make the best decisions for their families. High Risk Pools

Many FV Indiana members were very interested in when the Interim Study Committee that is charged with: The proposed state plan amendment, including an advisory recommendation to the office concerning the state plan amendment will meet. Today the Legislative Council meet and adopted a resolution that outlines all of the committees. FV Indiana will continue to follow this and share information as we have it.

Ongoing federal budget negotiations imperil the Medicaid program, so we are asking you to contact your Members of Congress. • Budget background. Congress needs to increase the debt limit so the country can continue to pay its debts (make good on its Treasury bonds). This must be done by August 2. Most economists seem to agree that the alternative, a “default” on the nation’s debt, would be disastrous for the world economy. • But there is a significant bloc of Members of Congress who say they will not vote to increase the debt limit unless significant steps are taken to reduce the deficit (resulting from spending more than is taken in, which is distinct from the total debt). The deficit can be reduced by cutting spending, increasing revenues (taxes) or a combination of the two. In turn, spending can be reduced by cutting “discretionary” spending (programs for which annual appropriations must be made, such as Title V) and/or cutting “entitlement” programs, of which the big ones