Mayor Bowser Urges Congress to Preserve DC Medicaid
Friday, May 2, 2025
Proposed Reduction in Medicaid Funding Would Jeopardize Health Care and Critical Services for Residents, Workers, and Visitors
(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser called on Congress to maintain the District’s Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) at its current level. The Mayor, Councilmembers, and health care leaders emphasized that changes to DC’s FMAP will have severe impacts on the city’s entire health care system.
“Congress must reject any proposal to reduce DC’s Federal Medical Assistance Percentage. We’re not just talking about percentages and formulas – we are talking about people’s real ability to go to the doctor, to access life-saving care. A cut of the District's Medicaid FMAP rates to 50% would result in a staggering $2.1 billion loss in funding for our hospitals, universities, and community providers. A loss of that magnitude will be felt by everyone who accesses care in DC,” said Mayor Bowser. “If the proposed change takes effect, it will devastate our health care systems in Washington, DC.”
FMAP determines the share of Medicaid costs covered by the federal government. Since the 1997 Revitalization Act, Congress has set DC’s FMAP at 70% to reflect the District’s unique financial constraints. DC performs the functions of a city, county, and state, but lacks the revenue-generating tools traditionally granted to states. For example, DC cannot tax the income of the more than 60% of workers who commute into the city from surrounding jurisdictions, an option available to other states. Congress, under then-Speaker Newt Gingrich, set the higher FMAP rate to acknowledge this constraint on the District’s ability to raise revenue for programs like Medicaid.
“Cuts to Medicaid funding will hurt everyone who lives in, works in, and visits our nation’s capital,” said Jacqueline Bowens, President and CEO of DC Hospital Association. “Cutting Medicaid would lead to reductions in services at hospitals, weaken preparedness for emergencies, and threaten public safety by jeopardizing police, fire, ambulance, education, substance abuse, mental health, and homeless services.”
If Congress reduces DC’s FMAP to 50%, the District will lose over $2.1 billion in total program funding. This would affect critical services including: