An Open Letter to Congressman Ciscomani

Dear Congressman Juan Ciscomani,

I am Clinton Kuntz, CEO of El Rio Health, a vital Community Health Center in Tucson and your constituent. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with you several times to discuss healthcare and the Community Health Center program. Each time, you’ve shown a willingness to listen, an eagerness to learn about these complex issues, and a genuine commitment to understanding the needs of the people you serve. Your dedication to representing Southern Arizona with thoughtfulness and integrity has not gone unnoticed.

Today, I’m writing with a deep sense of urgency about the potential cuts to Medicaid and the devastating impact they would have on Arizona, especially on organizations like El Rio Health. These cuts would disproportionately harm the communities we both serve, including the Hispanic population, which comprises 60% of our patients.

We often hear that Medicaid cuts are not on the table, but the numbers tell a different story. A Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis shows that the available funds Congress can cut fall far short of the $880 billion in reductions required by the budget resolution without deep cuts to Medicaid. That means Medicaid will almost certainly face deep cuts, despite any assurances to the contrary.

Medicaid, known in Arizona as AHCCCS (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System), is a lifeline for over 2 million Arizonans, providing essential healthcare to children, pregnant women, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families. In Pima County alone, nearly 400,000 people depend on AHCCCS for their care. These aren’t just statistics, these are your constituents, my patients, our neighbors.

El Rio Health serves over 129,000 patients annually, nearly half of whom rely on Medicaid. We ensure that people get the care they need to live healthy productive lives. Without Medicaid funding, our ability to care for many of them will be severely limited, leading to worse health outcomes and higher costs for everyone.

When people lose coverage, they don’t stop getting sick. They postpone treatment until it’s an emergency. That means more crowded emergency rooms, the most expensive place to get care, because they have nowhere else to go. ERs can only stabilize a crisis, so patients leave without solutions for when they need follow-up care. Without follow-up care, they get worse, end up back in the ER, and the cycle repeats.

Medicaid isn’t government bloat; it’s a smart investment that lowers the overall cost of healthcare and keeps Arizona’s economy strong. Cutting it doesn’t eliminate healthcare costs; it just shifts them elsewhere.

To understand the real-world impact, El Rio worked with Capital Link to model different Medicaid cut scenarios. One projection shows that El Rio alone could lose $23 million annually starting in 2026. That means thousands of jobs lost, not just at El Rio, but across healthcare, food service, childcare, and other industries. The impact wouldn’t stop with our staff or our patients. Fewer jobs mean less money flowing through local businesses, more families struggling to make ends meet, and a community less able to support itself. And El Rio is just one of 1,400 health centers across the country.

Every hospital, every doctor’s office, and every community would feel the blow. The ripple effect would be felt in business closures, overwhelmed hospitals, and higher costs for taxpayers and local communities. The economic tsunami of Medicaid cuts cannot be overstated.

Congressman, I know this won’t be an easy vote. Leadership means making tough choices. Your duty is to the people who trust you to lead. Medicaid is a lifeline for families, workers, and businesses in your district. Cutting it would destabilize our economy, cripple our healthcare system, and put lives at risk. This isn’t hyperbole, this is the reality of the situation.

When people lose coverage, they don’t just suffer financially, they suffer physically. A mother in your district will struggle to get prenatal care, putting both her and her baby at risk. A child with asthma will go without an inhaler. A senior will skip medications, leading to a stroke. And they will all end up in an overwhelmed ER for something that could have been prevented.

This isn’t just about numbers on a budget, it’s about real people, real families, and real jobs in your district.

Congressman, I urge you to stand with the people who elected you. Protect Medicaid. Protect Arizona’s families. Protect our economy. This isn’t just a policy decision, it’s about who we are as a community and the future we build together.

Sincerely,
Clinton Kuntz, DBH
CEO, El Rio Health

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About El Rio Health:

El Rio Health is the largest provider of medical and dental services for the uninsured and Medicaid populations in Pima County. El Rio serves the medical, dental, and behavioral health needs of over 129,000 patients annually. El Rio employs over 1,900 people with an annual budget of over $331million dollars. A national model of health care excellence, El Rio’s mission is to “improve the health of our community through comprehensive, accessible, affordable, quality and compassionate care.” www.elrio.org.