Janna Biggs

I am writing with concerns about proposals that prohibit state Medicaid payments to facilities accused of discriminating against employees, students, or trainees who lawfully exercise medical or religious vaccine exemptions. • Medicaid funding should support patient care and access, not be used as a punitive tool in employment or education disputes. • Individuals who qualify for lawful medical or religious exemptions are acting within existing legal frameworks and should not face discrimination for doing so. • Policies that penalize facilities financially may reduce healthcare access, staffing stability, and training opportunities—especially in underserved communities. • Employment and discrimination concerns are better addressed through established labor and civil rights processes, rather than through Medicaid payment restrictions. • Public health goals can be upheld without undermining legal protections for individual rights or destabilizing healthcare providers. I urge you to carefully consider the downstream impacts of this approach and seek solutions that protect patients, workers, and constitutional freedoms alike.