Statement from the Board: Expansion of Medicaid

10/05/2016

STATEMENT ON THE EXPANSION OF MEDICAID

Then these just will ask, ‘When did we see you hungry and feed you, or see you thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or clothe you in your nakedness? When did we see you ill or in prison and come to visit you?’ The ruler will answer them, ‘The truth is, every time you did this for the least of my sisters or brothers, you did it for me.’ —Matthew 25:37-40, The Inclusive Bible

While all major faith traditions encourage care for the poor, Christians across the millennia have heeded Jesus’ call to seek social justice for the “least of these.” One major issue in contemporary American society is the exhaustive cost of medical care for those in poverty. As Martin Luther King noted, “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”

Prior to the expansion of Medicaid by Congress through the Affordable Care Act, some 50 million Americans were uninsured. While the ACA was an excellent step toward medical coverage for those in poverty, political controversy in many states has kept many from seeking access to the American health care system. Those without insurance are statistically at risk for numerous negative outcomes from chronic disease, early mortality and bankruptcy.

At the end of 2015, 19 states had refused to expand Medicaid. This has left more than 30 million poor Americans — about 10 percent of the population — without any viable access to health care insurance. Of note, the majority of those uninsured are people of color and more than four million of these are children.

Christians in general, and the Alliance of Baptists specifically, see this as a moral issue. Health care is not a privilege for the wealthy but a God-breathed right for all God’s children as shown in the ministry and miracles of Jesus. In order to reduce the anxiety, suffering and pain of the uninsured in our nation, the Alliance of Baptists joins other ecclesial bodies in calling for:

  • All states to expand Medicaid as provided for by the ACA assuring all citizens who make up to 138 percent of the poverty line would have access to health insurance.
  • Our congregations to offer Medicaid Expansion educational presentations and workshops where Medicaid Expansion has not occurred, including accurate information on what health services are available to uninsured people in the area.
  • Our communities of faith to engage health organizations in their community partnering to amply voices for justice for individuals without health insurance.
  • Individuals to take action for Medicaid Expansion by writing state officials and governors encouraging them to expand Medicaid now.

Sources: Kaiser Family Foundation; New England Journal of Medicine; United Church of Christ.

The Alliance of Baptists' Board of Directors affirmed this statement, Oct. 1, 2016.