In addition to losing their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the tens of thousands of newly unemployed Wyoming workers have lost their health insurance benefits, too.
It’s time to expand Medicaid in Wyoming.
The Wyoming Legislature’s Revenue Committee voted to support Medicaid expansion in advance of the 2020 legislative session. Unfortunately, it failed during the regular session—but it’s back!
The Revenue Committee will once again vote on May 27 to decide whether to send a Medicaid expansion proposal to the full legislature, this time for the special legislative session taking place in June.
Tell the Revenue Committee: WYOMING NEEDS EXPANDED MEDICAID NOW MORE THAN EVER.
(See below for talking points and tips on writing the committee)
In addition to losing their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the tens of thousands of newly unemployed Wyoming workers have lost their health insurance benefits, too.
It’s time to expand Medicaid in Wyoming.
The Wyoming Legislature’s Revenue Committee voted to support Medicaid expansion in advance of the 2020 legislative session. Unfortunately, it failed during the regular session—but it’s back!
The Revenue Committee will once again vote on May 27 to decide whether to send a Medicaid expansion proposal to the full legislature, this time for the special legislative session taking place in June.
Tell the Revenue Committee members: WYOMING NEEDS EXPANDED MEDICAID NOW MORE THAN EVER.
(See below for talking points and tips on writing the committee)
HELPFUL TIPS FOR WRITING THE REVENUE COMMITTEE
IMPORTANT:
- You’ll write your message in the text box on Step 2, where it says “Personalize your message.”
- Your message will go separately to each member of the legislature’s Revenue Committee
- Don’t click the “Send message” button until you write your message.
- REMEMBER TO DELETE THE TEXT THAT SAYS “[DELTE THIS TEXT AND INSERT YOUR MESSAGE HERE]”
YOUR MESSAGE SHOULD HAVE THREE SHORT PARTS:
1. Say who you are.
Make sure to tell them you’re a voter (or future voter) in Wyoming.
My name is ____. I’m a _____ and a voter from _____, Wyoming.
2. Say what you want.
I’m writing today to ask you to vote in support of Medicaid expansion during the Revenue Committee’s meeting on May 27.
3. Say why you want it.
[This is where you can add a sentence or two about why Medicaid expansion is important to you.]
PRO TIPS
Keep it brief: Lawmakers are very busy. If you write them a novel, they’re not going to read it.
Change the message subject: This will make your email look less like spam.
Include your cell number: Lawmakers’ email messages are public record. They sometimes prefer a quick phone call rather than writing you back.
Watch this embedded video for more information on using this form.
TALKING POINTS
Maybe mention a few of these things in your message.
– Thousands of people have lost their health insurance as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Many of them would benefit from expanded Medicaid.
– Wyoming’s rural hospitals were already struggling. Their inability to perform elective procedures during the COVID-19 crisis has made their financial problems worse. Medicaid expansion would dramatically help support our rural hospitals.
– Wyoming faces a masssive budget shortfall that can be addressed by the hundreds of millions of dollars the state would receive from expanding Medicaid.
– The Health Insurance Resource Center estimates that Wyoming will leave $1.3 billion of federal money on the table over the next decade by refusing to expand Medicaid.
– The State of Wyoming would pay for 10 percent of the cost of expanding Medicaid. But other states’ experiences have shown that savings from the program more than offset the costs. That’s because, under expanded Medicaid, federal funds cover things like mental health and substance abuse treatment.
– Expanding Medicaid to tens of thousands of low-income Wyomingites will increase their access to preventative treatment and lower the cost of healthcare in Wyoming overall.
– When hospitals treat people who can’t afford to pay, they pass off those losses to everyone else, raising medical costs and insurance premiums statewide. Medicaid expansion would cover those costs instead, helping hospitals and driving down the price of healthcare for everyone.
For more background, check out therse articles:
COVID-19 prompts Wyoming lawmakers to reconsider Medicaid expansion
Wyoming’s rural hospitals (and communities) would benefit from Medicaid expansion
“Medicaid expansion would lower Wyoming’s state healthcare spending”
“Expanding Medicaid would drive down people’s healthcare costs across Wyoming”