Congress has released a budget blueprint that calls for deep and sweeping cuts to vital programs — including Medicaid. As part of this process, known as reconciliation, key committees have been instructed to reduce spending significantly. One such directive tasks the House Energy and Commerce Committee with cutting $880 billion from the programs under its oversight — including Medicaid..
This level of reduction would deeply harm children and families across the country, particularly those impacted by parental substance misuse.
Currently, almost 38 million children are enrolled in Medicaid. At NACoA, we know that children living with a parent who has an alcohol use disorder (AUD) or other substance use disorder often carry invisible burdens — trauma, anxiety, fear, and isolation. These children are among the most vulnerable in our communities. Medicaid is a cornerstone of the support system that helps these young people find hope and healing.
Medicaid funds critical mental and behavioral health services — both in community clinics and in schools — that help children affected by substance use in the family receive treatment, trauma-informed care, developmental support, and safe pathways to thrive.
Many school-based services for children with disabilities and emotional disturbances — which disproportionately include children from families affected by substance misuse — rely on Medicaid funding.
Even if your program doesn’t directly bill Medicaid, cuts to this program will create ripple effects across the entire behavioral health system, undermining care capacity everywhere.
Now is the time to take action.
Congress is currently in recess and members are in their home states and districts. This is your opportunity to raise your voice. If you are meeting with your representative, or if you can make a call or send an email, please share this clear and vital message:
Please protect Medicaid. Children and families living with the impact of alcohol and substance use disorders need access to health and mental health services. These supports save lives, strengthen families, and protect our future.
Every child deserves the chance to grow up in a safe, healthy environment — and for many, that chance is possible because of the safety net Medicaid provides.
Let’s speak up together — for the millions of children whose lives depend on it.
