New York, NY — Early this morning, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a sweeping domestic policy and spending bill that includes at least $715 billion in cuts to Medicaid, the nation’s single largest payer for mental health services. The legislation, which passed the House by a single vote, also introduces an 80-hour monthly work requirement for able-bodied adults without dependents to qualify for Medicaid.
These cuts could leave 8.6 million people without health coverage, according to estimates by the Congressional Budget Office, with young people, rural communities, and school-based resources among the hardest hit.
“This bill would devastate access to mental health care for millions of Americans,” said Dr. Zainab Okolo, Senior Vice President of Policy, Advocacy, and Government Relations at The Jed Foundation (JED). “Young people and families rely on Medicaid for care at home, at school, and in times of crisis, and taking away these services would put lives at risk, causing lasting harm to them and their communities.”
Medicaid is a lifeline for nearly half of all U.S. children, covering mental health and behavioral services for millions. These are our nation’s most vulnerable youth – eligible for Medicaid under already-strict poverty and income level requirements – and these youth are among the most susceptible to increased risk for psychological disorders and mental illness. Medicaid covered 43 percent of youth nationwide with major depressive episodes or substance-use disorder, amounting to 2.4 million young people in 2023.
Medicaid is also essential to providing school-based mental health care, with one report finding 59% of school districts use Medicaid funds for mental and behavioral health services. Cuts of this magnitude would dramatically weaken the infrastructure supporting school psychologists, counselors, and crisis intervention programs, just as rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide remain alarmingly high.
JED is calling on the Senate to reject the bill in its current form and preserve the essential role Medicaid plays in safeguarding youth mental health and lives. The Senate must act to protect youth well-being and ensure our young people continue to have access to lifesaving mental health care.
As an organization focused on protecting mental health and preventing suicide among our nation’s young people, JED is deeply concerned about what the enactment of this legislation would mean for the well-being of America’s young people.
Significantly decreasing Medicaid funding, as the bill calls for, would endanger access to existing, crucial mental health services that currently benefit millions of young people, jeopardizing essential Medicaid funding to school-based mental health care, other school-linked services, and crisis response programs.
“Mental health care isn’t a luxury, it’s a lifeline.,” Dr. Okolo said. “It’s a necessity. It’s about whether a teenager in distress gets to see a school counselor, whether a family can afford to support their child with an emerging mental illness, and whether a mental health or suicidal crisis goes unanswered. If we take this care away, parents will be pulled away from work, students will miss school, and we will lose lives. We urge the Senate to act swiftly to preserve this essential care.”
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About The Jed Foundation (JED)
JED is a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. We’re partnering with high schools, colleges, and school districts to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. We’re equipping teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other. We’re encouraging community awareness, understanding, and action for young adult mental health.
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Media Contact
Justin Barbo
Director of Public Relations, The Jed Foundation
Justin@jedfoundation.org
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