What is Medicaid?
Medicaid is the largest health insurer in the United States, even bigger than Medicare in terms of the number of people covered. This essential program provides healthcare for:
- 70-80 million Americans overall
- Four in ten children in America
- One out of every six adults
- A significant portion of disabled Americans
- Seniors needing long-term care at home or in nursing facilities
- Four in ten women for delivery care
Medicaid serves lower and middle-income families, but even middle or high-income families may eventually rely on it for long-term care after depleting their resources. The program is jointly funded by states and the federal government.
The Threat to Medicaid
Republicans in the House have passed a bill requiring massive cuts to Medicaid, potentially removing $880 billion from the program. If enacted, these cuts would:
- Force hospital closures, especially in rural America where facilities are already struggling
- Reduce access to healthcare for millions of vulnerable Americans
- Force seniors out of home care and into institutions (which may also close due to funding cuts)
- Result in preventable deaths and suffering
The administration claims that services won't be cut, but as Senator Schiff explains, "There is no way to cut half of the funding for this program without massively curtailing healthcare access for millions and millions of people."
"If they can't afford it, they shouldn't have it."
— What one constituent told Senator Schiff about healthcare access
This attitude, coupled with the desire to fund tax cuts for wealthy individuals and corporations, is driving these devastating proposed cuts to essential healthcare services.
Why Everyone Should Care
Even if you don't receive Medicaid, these cuts will affect you:
- Your local hospital may close if it loses Medicaid funding
- Healthcare clinics serving your community may shut down
- Emergency care access would be reduced for everyone
- Your friends, family members, and neighbors may lose essential care
- The social safety net that any of us might need someday would be weakened
As Senator Schiff puts it: "We're all part of the same healthcare system... We all have a stake in this."