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Trump’s War on Health Care: Public Health Watch

“We Are Flying Blind” – RFK Jr.’s Unprecedented Effort To Dismantle America’s Health Care System Continues

Welcome to Public Health Watch, a weekly roundup from Protect Our Care tracking catastrophic activity as part of Donald Trump’s sweeping war on health care. From installing anti-vaccine zealot RFK Jr. as Secretary of HHS to empowering Elon Musk to make indiscriminate cuts to our public health infrastructure, including the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, Donald Trump is endangering the lives of millions of Americans. Protect Our Care’s Public Health Watch will shine a spotlight on the worst of the Trump/RFK/Musk war on vaccines, science and public health and serve as a resource for the press, public and advocacy groups to hold them accountable. 

What’s Happening In Public Health?

Catastrophic Cuts Are Creating Chaos And Endangering Americans’ Health And Scientific Innovation

Politico: RFK Jr. vowed to upend American health care. It’s happening faster than expected. Shortly after Donald Trump picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead his health department, a group of pharmaceutical executives traveled to Mar-a-Lago to personally express their reservations about the man who the president promised would “go wild” on health care. But Trump, confronted with their concerns about his history of anti-vaccine work and lack of government experience, waved the executives off, according to two people briefed on the conversation. Don’t worry about Bobby, he assured them. I’ll keep Kennedy under control. Five months later, federal health officials, industry executives and the public health community say they’re more worried than ever. Kennedy in his first seven weeks atop the Department and Health and Human Services has dramatically reshaped the U.S. health apparatus, eliminating entire agency divisions, abruptly shifting policy priorities and leaving the sprawling department in what six current and former employees described as an unprecedented state of upheaval.

Stat: Inside U.S. health agencies, workers confront chaos and questions as operations come unglued Beyond the thousands of workers laid off and programs shuttered, the Trump administration’s remaking of the Department of Health and Human Services — in a matter of weeks — is now sparking basic questions about how parts of the agency and those it oversees can continue to function. The chaos that NIH investigators are facing — which echoes reports seeping out of other HHS agencies under health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. —  suggests a major reckoning playing out inside the heart of the federal government’s health infrastructure. Collectively, when compounded across the $1.8 trillion enterprise, it points to a fundamental reshaping of how the department operates, and of what science and public health will look like in this country going forward. In more than two dozen interviews with employees across HHS and its subagencies, staff described grappling with challenges that they say are more dire than a mere downsizing of the workforce might suggest. Many said they were unsure how long before the fraying of certain initiatives could turn fatal, risking programs that operate largely unseen by the public but that they insist protect lives.

Politico: ‘We are flying blind’: RFK Jr.’s cuts halt data collection on abortion, cancer, HIV and more The federal teams that count public health problems are disappearing — putting efforts to solve those problems in jeopardy. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s purge of tens of thousands of federal workers has halted efforts to collect data on everything from cancer rates in firefighters to mother-to-baby transmission of HIV and syphilis to outbreaks of drug-resistant gonorrhea to cases of carbon monoxide poisoning. The cuts threaten to obscure the severity of pressing health threats and whether they’re getting better or worse, leaving officials clueless on how to respond. They could also make it difficult, if not impossible, to assess the impact of the administration’s spending and policies. Both outside experts and impacted employees argue the layoffs will cost the government more money in the long run by eliminating information on whether programs are effective or wasteful, and by allowing preventable problems to fester.

Associated Press: CDC officials plan for the agency’s splintering, but questions remain A top Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official told staff this week to start planning for the agency’s splintering. Several parts of CDC — mostly those devoted to health threats that aren’t infectious — are being spun off into the soon-to-be-created Administration for a Healthy America, the agency official told senior leaders in calls and meetings. The directive came from Dr. Debra Houry, the agency’s chief medical officer, according to three CDC officials who were in attendance. They declined to be identified because they weren’t authorized to talk about the plans and fear being fired if they were identified. Asked to comment, Houry referred The Associated Press to CDC media relations representatives. CDC spokesperson Jason McDonald acknowledged the agency is planning for possible changes but that “none of the items discussed at the meeting have been finalized, and are subject to change.”

CBS: RFK Jr. says he’s “not familiar” with all health program cuts in exclusive interview Since his appointment in February, Kennedy has facilitated sweeping cuts affecting a wide range of programs and employees. When asked by LaPook if he personally approved the more than $11 billion proposed in cuts to local and state programs that address infectious disease, mental health, addiction and childhood vaccination, Kennedy said, “No I’m not familiar with those cuts. We’d have to go … the cuts were mainly DEI cuts, which the president ordered.” LaPook provided Kennedy with an example of a $750,000 University of Michigan grant focused on adolescent diabetes, which was eliminated. “I didn’t know that, and that’s something that we’ll look at,” Kennedy said. He added that he could not speak to if it should be considered a DOGE cut. “I just, I’m not familiar with that particular study. But there’s a number of studies that were cut that came to our attention and that did not deserve to be cut, and we reinstated them. Our purpose is not to reduce any level of scientific research that’s important.”

  • Politico: What HHS told House staff about RFK Jr.’s overhaul of the agency Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on his agency’s budget in the coming weeks, but HHS officials told committee staffers that he might not be able to speak on his department’s sweeping overhaul, a Democratic aide for the panel said Friday. According to the aide, granted anonymity to share details of a private meeting, the agency officials argued in a closed-door briefing that because of the sweeping reduction in force — which aims to cut 10,000 of the department’s workers — Kennedy won’t be able to discuss the matter for 60 days. Those officials cited U.S. Office of Personnel Management statutes.
  • Stat: RFK Jr.’s Senate hearing on health department cuts to be delayed for weeks Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will likely delay his appearance before the Senate’s health committee by several weeks, even as he makes historic changes to the Department of Health and Human Services and contends with a surging measles outbreak. Senate health committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and ranking member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) publicly asked the secretary to appear on April 10. They made the request on April 1, the same day that Kennedy executed major cuts to the federal health workforce. Kennedy’s team confirmed receipt of the request but did not confirm attendance, according to committee staff. Typically, hearings have to be scheduled at least seven days in advance, though that requirement can be waived in certain cases. After this week, the Senate is taking a two-week break and is due to return April 28.  Asked if Kennedy had a date set to appear before the committee, an HHS spokesperson declined to comment. A Cassidy spokesperson said Monday there was no update on the timing of the hearing but previously said it’s “not uncommon for the proposed date to be negotiated to accommodate schedules.”

New York Times: As Kennedy Champions Chronic Disease Prevention, Key Research Is Cut Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has spoken of an “existential threat” that he said can destroy the nation. “We have the highest chronic disease burden of any country in the world,” Mr. Kennedy said at a hearing in January before the Senate confirmed him as the secretary of Health and Human Services. And on Monday he is starting a tour in the Southwest to promote a program to combat chronic illness, emphasizing nutrition and lifestyle. But since Mr. Kennedy assumed his post, key grants and contracts that directly address these diseases, including obesity, diabetes and dementia, which experts agree are among the nation’s leading health problems, are being eliminated. These programs range in scale and expense. Researchers warn that their demise could mean lost opportunities to address an aspect of public health that Mr. Kennedy has said is his priority. “This is a huge mistake,” said Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, the co-director of the Healthcare Transformation Institute at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.

  • Associated Press: RFK Jr. wants to target chronic disease in US tribes. A key program to do that was gutted Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spent time in tribal communities in Arizona and New Mexico this week highlighting ways they are trying to prevent chronic disease among Native Americans and Alaska Natives, something he has said is one of his top priorities. But Kennedy didn’t appear to publicly address a Native health program using traditional medicine and foods to tackle disproportionate rates of conditions like diabetes and liver disease. The program, called Healthy Tribes, was gutted in this month’s federal health layoffs. Some Native leaders say they are having trouble grasping the dissonance between Kennedy’s words and his actions. With little information, they wonder if Healthy Tribes is part of the Trump administration’s push to end diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. There also is confusion about what and who is left at the 11-year-old program, which was part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, under Kennedy’s agency, and doled out $32.5 million a year.

Health Impacts:

Local Impacts: 

Chaotic Firings and Re-Hirings:

Cruel and Destructive Policy Changes:

RFK Jr. Is An Extreme MAGA Anti-Vaxxer Who’s Breaking His “Assurances” To Key Republicans To Get Confirmed And Mis-Managing HHS 

New York Times: The Many Ways Kennedy Is Already Undermining Vaccines During his Senate confirmation hearings to be health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presented himself as a supporter of vaccines. But in office, he and the agencies he leads have taken far-reaching, sometimes subtle steps to undermine confidence in vaccine efficacy and safety. The National Institutes of Health halted funding for researchers who study vaccine hesitancy and hoped to find ways to overcome it. It also canceled programs intended to discover new vaccines to prevent future pandemics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shelved an advertising campaign for the flu shot. Mr. Kennedy has said inaccurately that the scientists who advise the C.D.C. on vaccines have “severe, severe conflicts of interest” in promoting the products and cannot be trusted. The Health and Human Services Department  cut billions of dollars to state health agencies, including funds needed to modernize state programs for childhood immunization. Mr. Kennedy said in a televised interview on Wednesday that he was unaware of this widely reported development. The Food and Drug Administration canceled an open meeting on flu vaccines with scientific advisers, later holding it behind closed doors. A top official paused the agency’s review of Novavax’s Covid vaccine. In a televised interview last week, Mr. Kennedy said falsely that similarly created vaccines don’t work against respiratory viruses. Some scientists said they saw a pattern: an effort to erode support for routine vaccination, and for the scientists who have long held it up as a public health goal

Associated Press: RFK Jr. says HHS will determine the cause of autism by September The nation’s top health agency will undertake a “massive testing and research effort” to determine the cause of autism, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced. Kennedy, a longtime vaccine critic who has pushed a discredited theory that routine childhood shots cause the developmental disability, said Thursday that the effort will be completed by September and involve hundreds of scientists. He shared the plans with President Donald Trump during a televised Cabinet meeting. Trump suggested that vaccines could be to blame for autism rates, although decades of research have concluded there is no link between the two. “There’s got to be something artificial out there that’s doing this,” Trump told Kennedy. “If you can come up with that answer, where you stop taking something, eating something, or maybe it’s a shot. But something’s causing it.”

Washington Post: RFK Jr.: If you eat doughnuts or smoke, should society pay for your health care? Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked whether society should pay for the health care of Americans who eat doughnuts or smoke when they know those habits can contribute to poor health outcomes. “If you’re smoking three packs of cigarettes a day, should you expect society to pay when you get sick?” the nation’s top health official asked in an interview released Wednesday with CBS News chief medical correspondent, physician Jon LaPook. Kennedy went on to say that it is an American’s choice to “eat doughnuts all day” or drink sodas, and he promised not to take those choices away. “But in terms of, should you then expect society to care for you when you predictably get very sick at the same level as somebody who was born with a congenital illness?” he asked. “The best answer to that is to realign our incentives so that the economic incentives, the individuals and the industry align with the public health outcomes that we desire.”

Politico: RFK Jr. says Deep State ‘is real,’ called FDA employees ‘sock puppet’ of industry HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s visit to the FDA Friday was supposed to introduce him as a trusted leader to agency employees. It did anything but. Over the course of 40 minutes, Kennedy, in largely off-the-cuff remarks, asserted that the “Deep State” is real, referenced past CIA experiments on human mind control and accused the employees he was speaking to of becoming a “sock puppet” of the industries they regulate.

Stat: Health secretary RFK Jr. declares certain vaccines have ‘never worked,’ flummoxing scientists Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed another unorthodox view on vaccines, with the long-time vaccine critic declaring that vaccines for respiratory bugs that target a sole part of the pathogen they are meant to protect against do not work. The claim was dismissed as erroneous by vaccine experts, who were befuddled by the secretary’s theory, espoused during an interview with CBS News.  Kennedy made the claim in explaining a controversial recent decision by political appointees at the Food and Drug Administration to delay granting a full license to Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine, which is still given under an emergency use authorization or EUA.  “It is a single antigen vaccine. And for respiratory illnesses, the single antigen vaccines have never worked,” Kennedy said when asked by CBS’s chief medical correspondent, Jonathan LaPook, why the decision was delayed.

  • Stat: RFK Jr. suggests some vaccines are risky or ineffective, downplays measles threat Facing a growing outbreak of measles that could test his leadership, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this week is sowing doubt about the safety and efficacy of some vaccines — beyond the measles shot — and arguing the government shouldn’t mandate their use. He also raised questions about what killed an 8-year-old girl whose death was attributed to measles by health officials, his latest remarks that downplay the threat of the virus. In an interview with CBS News that aired Wednesday, the nation’s top health official said that “people should get the measles vaccine,” a more direct assertion than has been typical from Kennedy, who has a long history of questioning vaccine safety.  At the same time, however, he appeared to minimize the threat of a growing outbreak centered in Texas and New Mexico and sent mixed signals about vaccines, saying many vaccines “aren’t safety tested.” He went on to argue they’re not tested against placebo groups or only over short periods of time. Public health officials across independent bodies have repeatedly approved vaccines based on their safety and efficacy evidence, including placebo-controlled trials and long-term studies. “When I say they’re not safety tested, what I mean is that they’re not adequately [tested],” he said.

The Atlantic: What RFK Jr. Told Grieving Texas Families About the Measles Vaccine On Sunday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. met with the families of two girls who had died from measles in West Texas—and raised doubts about the safety of vaccines. “He said, ‘You don’t know what’s in the vaccine anymore,’” Peter Hildebrand, whose 8-year-old daughter, Daisy’s, funeral had been held just hours earlier, told me. “I actually asked him about it.” The secretary of Health and Human Services had traveled to the small, remote city of Seminole, where 1,000 mourners for Daisy filled the wooden pews of an unmarked Mennonite church. After the service, coffee and homemade bread were served at a traditional gathering known as a faspa. Kennedy was there, he wrote on X that afternoon, to “console the families and to be with the community in their moment of grief.” The slow-brewing crisis, in which more than 600 people have been infected with measles and three have died—America’s first deaths from the disease in a decade—has left Kennedy in an awkward position. For many years, he has been the country’s most prominent anti-vaccine activist. Americans “have been misled by the pharmaceutical industry and their captured government agency allies into believing that measles is a deadly disease and that measles vaccines are necessary, safe, and effective,” he wrote in a foreword to a 2021 book. Since taking office, though, he has moderated his tone, at times endorsing the shots’ importance to public health. In his public post from Seminole, Kennedy did so once again, describing his department’s efforts to supply Texas pharmacies and clinics with “needed MMR vaccines,” which he called “the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles.” Yet there’s ample reason to believe that Kennedy hasn’t really changed his views: “I have worked with Bobby for many years, and I can confidently say that he has a heart that is incapable of compromise,” Del Bigtree, the communications director for Kennedy’s independent presidential campaign, said on X, in an effort to reassure some angry and confused supporters. “He is at a poker table with the slyest serpents in the world,” he added; “we should not ask him to show his cards.” (Bigtree also called the MMR vaccine “one of the most effective ways to cause autism,” despite the fact that study after study has disproved the link.) Indeed, when I spoke with Hildebrand by phone on Monday, I learned that Kennedy was questioning vaccines behind the scenes, even in the midst of his condolence trip to Texas.

  • The Guardian: RFK Jr stayed silent on vaccine, says father of child who died from measles A Texas man who buried his eight-year-old daughter on Sunday after the unvaccinated child died with measles says Robert F Kennedy Jr “never said anything” about the vaccine against the illness or its proven efficacy while visiting the girl’s family and community for her funeral. “He did not say that the vaccine was effective,” Pete Hildebrand, the father of Daisy Hildebrand, said in reference to Kennedy during a brief interview on Monday. “I had supper with the guy … and he never said anything about that.”

Bloomberg: RFK Jr.’s Inconsistent Measles Messages Alarm Health Officials Health officials across the US are increasingly concerned that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., head of the federal health department, is sowing confusion about the effectiveness of the measles vaccine amid an outbreak that has left two unvaccinated children in Texas dead. On Sunday, in a post on X disclosing the latest death, Kennedy wrote that “the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine,” marking his clearest endorsement of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to date. Hours later, Kennedy posted photos with two Texas doctors he claimed had “healed” about 300 children with measles by using a steroid treatment and an antibiotic. Neither has proved to treat measles, which is a virus and thus not susceptible to antibiotics. To public health experts, such statements from the secretary of Health and Human Services risk misleading people into thinking unproven treatments are a viable alternative to the measles vaccine, which is more than 90% effective at preventing infection.

  • NBC: Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles The measles outbreak in West Texas has reignited familiar anti-vaccine tactics: claiming there are readily available treatments for the disease while sowing doubt in the safety of vaccines.  Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Sunday touted two particular medications that have not been shown to work as first-line treatments for measles: the steroid budesonide and the antibiotic clarithromycin. Although experts say there are no specific treatments proven to help people recover faster from measles, Kennedy claimed on X that the medications had been instrumental in treating around 300 children in Texas, and told Fox News that doctors prescribing them had seen “very, very good results.” Kennedy has been sharply criticized by medical experts for weeks for spreading misinformation about the measles vaccine and failing to encourage parents to vaccinate their children.
  • Washington Post: Trump has faced measles before. The difference this time is RFK Jr. Six years ago, as measles outbreaks cropped up across the country, President Donald Trump was asked what parents should do. “They have to get the shots,” he said. “The vaccinations are so important.” On Sunday, Trump was asked about the growing measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico. “It’s so far a fairly small number of people,” he said, though the outbreaks were similar in size at the time of both interviews. “This is not something new.” Two children have died of measles-related complications, and a third death has been linked to the infection so far this year. No one died in the 2019 outbreaks. Public health experts and former officials are bemoaning the current lack of action, noting the clear difference between the government’s response then and now. With Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health and human services secretary and increasing public hesitancy over vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been muzzled, messaging has been muddled, and public health funding has been slashed.

CBS: RFK Jr. calls for end of fluoride in water, after Utah ban Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called Monday for the end of community water fluoridation, praising Utah’s move to ban the addition of fluoride to the water supply. “It makes no sense to have it in our water supply. And I’m very, very proud of this state for being the first state to ban it. And I hope many more will come,” Kennedy told reporters in Utah. It comes as the Environmental Protection Agency says it has now launched a new review of fluoride’s health effects, working with Kennedy’s department as it weighs whether to tighten federal restrictions on its addition to drinking water.  Kennedy will also be reconvening his department’s Community Preventive Services Task Force to make a new recommendation on water fluoridation, an HHS official said. The federal task force previously recommended water fluoridation after a review in 2013, citing “strong evidence” of its public health benefits to reduce cavities outweighing its costs.

  • Axios: EPA “prepared to act” on RFK’s request to remove fluoride from drinking water The Trump administration is formally taking on fluoride in drinking water, with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy planning to tell the CDC to end its longtime recommendation for the practice. EPA head Lee Zeldin also said his agency is “ready to act. Why it matters: Public health and dental experts have warned ending the addition of fluoride to drinking water will harm children’s teeth. Driving the news: Zeldin and Kennedy joined Utah lawmakers in a Monday media event to praise the state’s first-in-the-nation ban on fluoride in public water systems. Kennedy later told the AP he planned to assemble a task force to examine the mineral in drinking water and tell the CDC to stop recommending it.

Associated Press: Ex-official says he was forced out of FDA after trying to protect vaccine safety data from RFK Jr. Shortly before he was forced to resign, the nation’s top vaccine regulator says he refused to grant Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s team unrestricted access to a tightly held vaccine safety database, fearing that the information might be manipulated or even deleted. In an interview with The Associated Press, former Food and Drug Administration vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks discussed his efforts to “make nice” with Kennedy and address his longstanding concerns about vaccine safety, including by developing a “vaccine transparency action plan.” Marks agreed to give Kennedy’s associates the ability to read thousands of reports of potential vaccine-related issues sent to the government’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, or VAERS. But he would not allow them to directly edit the data. “Why wouldn’t we? Because frankly we don’t trust (them),” he said, using a profanity. “They’d write over it or erase the whole database.”

Other MAHA Activities:

Court Battles

Stat: HHS firings could face legal challenges over inaccuracies, process used to make cuts A week after widespread cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services, many workers are left wondering: Was that legal? Some lawyers and labor experts say errors in termination notices and the swift speed and scale of the firings raise legal questions.  The reduction-in-force, or RIF, brought the toll at HHS to 20,000 workers, according to government estimates. Some agencies, like the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are believed to have lost nearly one-fifth of their workforce, impeding basic functions.  Lawyers and others who have watched the RIFs unfold say it’s not clear if  government officials followed the specific rules and processes required by law. A few key issues raise their eyebrows: The kinds of workers who were cut, the way the government drew the boundaries, and the drama unfolding at a critical appeals board.  Workers across HHS have reported that whole offices and programs were slashed, forcing out both newer employees and some with decades of experience. That is unconventional, experts told STAT.  Typically in a RIF, the government first draws a boundary around a certain function or program that it wants to make leaner. Then, officials must make what’s called a retention register. This list, which ranks workers by many factors — including seniority, tenure, veteran status, and job performance — is used to rank personnel.

Disastrous, Dangerous Appointments

Wired: Dr. Oz Pushed for AI Health Care in First Medicare Agency Town Hall Dr. Mehmet Oz, the new administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), spent much of his first all-staff meeting on Monday promoting the use of artificial intelligence at the agency and praising Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again Initiative,” sources tell WIRED. During the meeting, Oz discussed possibly prioritizing AI avatars over frontline health care workers. Oz claimed that if a patient went to a doctor for a diabetes diagnosis, it would be $100 per hour, while an appointment with an AI avatar would cost considerably less, at just $2 an hour. Oz also claimed that patients have rated the care they’ve received from an AI avatar as equal to or better than a human doctor. (Research suggests patients are actually more skeptical of medical advice given by AI.) Because of technologies like machine learning and AI, Oz claimed, it is now possible to scale “good ideas” in an affordable and fast way.

Washington Post: Trump health nominee called for ‘corrective care’ for trans youth President Donald Trump’s pick for a top health post has called for transgender youth to undergo “corrective care” instead of transitioning and has repeated conspiracy theories about the covid-19 pandemic, according to a Washington Post review of his podcast and radio appearances. Brian Christine, a 61-year-old Alabama urologist, would succeed former U.S. assistant secretary for health Rachel Levine, who made history during the Biden administration when she became the highest ranking openly transgender federal government official.

Public Health Threats

CBS: Weekly measles cases top 90 in U.S. for first time in years The number of measles cases reported in the U.S. in a single week has topped 90 for the first time since a record wave in 2019, according to figures published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ninety-one cases of measles were reported with rashes that began the week of March 23, with Arkansas, Hawaii and Indiana joining the list of two dozen states with confirmed measles cases. For the week of March 30, 81 cases were reported, and another 21 cases were reported for the following week. But those figures are expected to rise as more cases are confirmed. So far this year, at least 712 measles cases have been confirmed in the U.S. — the second-highest number of cases reported in a single year since the 1990s. Nearly 30,000 measles cases were reported in 1990, largely due to gaps in vaccination. In 2019, there were 1,274 confirmed measles cases.

Associated Press: Measles exploded in Texas after stagnant vaccine funding. New cuts threaten the same across the US The measles outbreak in West Texas didn’t happen just by chance. The easily preventable disease, declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, ripped through communities sprawling across more than 20 Texas counties in part because health departments were starved of the funding needed to run vaccine programs, officials say. “We haven’t had a strong immunization program that can really do a lot of boots-on-the-ground work for years,” said Katherine Wells, the health director in Lubbock, a 90-minute drive from the outbreak’s epicenter. Immunization programs nationwide have been left brittle by years of stagnant funding by federal, state and local governments. In Texas and elsewhere, this helped set the stage for the measles outbreak and fueled its spread. Now cuts to federal funding threaten efforts to prevent more cases and outbreaks.

  • CBS: Extra measles vaccine shot recommended for some travelers to Texas, other areas with outbreaks, CDC says  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now backing an additional measles vaccine shot for some travelers within the United States, multiple health officials tell CBS News, in response to record outbreaks of the highly contagious virus this year.  In a letter shared with health departments on April 8, the CDC said it would now be recommending that visitors to areas affected by measles outbreaks within the United States follow stepped up vaccination guidance issued by local authorities. Most adults still do not need an additional dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, the CDC says. But for “people going to or living in areas in the United States with ongoing community-wide measles transmission,” the CDC says doctors should “reassess need” for vaccination.
  • Texas Tribune: Push for Texas to weaken vaccine mandates persists as measles surge As measles tears through West Texas — infecting hundreds, hospitalizing dozens and claiming the lives of two children — some lawmakers in Austin are pushing bills to roll back vaccine requirements and expand access to exemptions under the banner of “choice.” Measles, a highly contagious disease that was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, has swept through West Texas communities with lower-than-average vaccination rates, turning Texas into the epicenter of a possible national epidemic with 505 cases identified since late January, including 57 hospitalizations and two deaths. Two shots of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, which has been administered for decades, is the safest and most effective way to build immunity to the virus. Still, Texas lawmakers have introduced bills to weaken vaccine mandates and make it easier for parents to obtain exemptions for their children — and there’s little indication that the state’s worst outbreak in three decades has changed their thinking.

ProPublica: Why You Should Also Worry About Whooping Cough Amid Measles Outbreak In the past six months, two babies in Louisiana have died of pertussis, the disease commonly known as whooping cough. Washington state recently announced its first confirmed death from pertussis in more than a decade. Idaho and South Dakota each reported a death this year, and Oregon last year reported two as well as its highest number of cases since 1950. While much of the country is focused on the spiraling measles outbreak concentrated in the small, dusty towns of West Texas, cases of pertussis have skyrocketed by more than 1,500% nationwide since hitting a recent low in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Deaths tied to the disease are also up, hitting 10 last year, compared with about two to four in previous years. Cases are on track to exceed that total this year. Doctors, researchers and public health experts warn that the measles outbreak, which has grown to more than 600 cases, may just be the beginning. They say outbreaks of preventable diseases could get much worse with falling vaccination rates and the Trump administration slashing spending on the country’s public health infrastructure. National rates for four major vaccines, which had held relatively steady in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, have fallen significantly since, according to a ProPublica analysis of the most recent federal kindergarten vaccination data. Not only have vaccination rates for measles, mumps and rubella fallen, but federal data shows that so have those for pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B and polio.

ABC: Trump’s Immigration Tactics Obstruct Efforts To Avert Bird Flu Pandemic, Researchers Say Aggressive deportation tactics have terrorized farmworkers at the center of the nation’s bird flu strategy, public health workers say. Dairy and poultry workers have accounted for most cases of the bird flu in the U.S. — and preventing and detecting cases among them is key to averting a pandemic. But public health specialists say they’re struggling to reach farmworkers because many are terrified to talk with strangers or to leave home. “People are very scared to go out, even to get groceries,” said Rosa Yanez, an outreach worker at Strangers No Longer, a Detroit-based Catholic organization that supports immigrants and refugees in Michigan with legal and health problems, including the bird flu. “People are worried about losing their kids, or about their kids losing their parents.” “I used to tell people about the bird flu, and workers were happy to have that information,” Yanez said. “But now people just want to know their rights.”

Reuters: U.S. fentanyl deaths have been plunging. Enter Trump Federal spending cuts instigated by the White House threaten to reverse a steep decline in American overdose deaths and are jeopardizing other gains in the battle against synthetic opioids, people on the front lines of the anti-narcotics fight say. Government drug researchers have been sacked. One of the nation’s premier narcotics testing labs has furloughed chemists who test the potency of illicit drugs. A Pennsylvania outreach center that distributed thousands of doses of lifesaving overdose-reversal medication has closed its doors. An Illinois nonprofit that works to reduce overdose deaths in communities of color is slated to lose grants worth 60% of its budget. The office of federal workers who conduct the nation’s only annual survey on drug use has been gutted. To piece together how the Trump administration’s actions could affect the nation’s overdose crisis, Reuters spoke with more than three dozen current and former U.S. health officials, public health experts, community-level harm reduction advocates and recently fired federal workers. Their warning was stark: Layoffs and funding cuts are dismantling the carefully constructed health infrastructure that drove the number of overdose deaths down by tens of thousands last year.

Bloomberg: Idaho Governor Approves Ban on School, Business Vaccine Mandates Idaho will soon prohibit vaccine and other medical intervention requirements for employees and students under a law set to take effect this summer. The ban is part of legislation (SB 1210) Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) quietly signed into law April 4 stating that entities in the state may not require a “medical procedure, treatment, device, drug, injection, medication, or medical action” as a condition for employment or school attendance. 

Public Health Threats Around The World:

Opinion and Commentary

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In News

FACT SHEET: Communities of Color Depend on Medicaid for Health Care, But Republicans Want to Strip It Away

This April marks the eighth annual Medicaid Awareness Month. Medicaid is the largest health insurance program in the country, providing health care for over 70 million Americans of all races. It is a critical source of health care and financial security, especially for Black, Latino, and Indigenous families in rural and urban America who experience poverty at a higher rate than white Americans and remain less likely to have access to quality care – an important driver of health. Generations of structural racism across all determinants of health have resulted in lower rates of health coverage and worse health outcomes amongst people of color. As a result, these groups face higher rates of many chronic conditions that make access to affordable health coverage through Medicaid even more essential.

 Despite its importance to millions of Americans, Trump and Republicans in Congress are determined to gut Medicaid in order to give billionaires and big corporations another tax cut, even if it means dismantling the health care they rely on. Congressional Republicans are pressing forward with their budget which will slash $880 billion from Medicaid, putting the health care of tens of millions of Americans at risk. Their cruel agenda will hit communities of color the hardest, stripping away care and hiking costs for working families at a time when no one can afford it. Recent polling found there is broad opposition across party lines to any cuts to Medicaid, with 67 percent saying Congress should increase spending on Medicaid or keep it about the same.

Additionally, for people of color, loss of health coverage due to Medicaid cuts will be especially compounded by Republicans raising premiums and health care costs for 24 million Americans by allowing enhanced premium tax credits for people who buy coverage on their own to expire. Because of enhanced tax credits, Blacks and Latinos experienced the greatest reductions in the percent of uninsured people, and those gains stand to be reversed if Republicans allow the tax credits to expire.

During Medicaid Awareness Month, Protect Our Care is continuing its “Hands Off Medicaid” campaign with theme weeks to underscore the importance of Medicaid across the country. Alongside partners, lawmakers, and other advocates, Protect Our Care is working to defend Medicaid from the Republican-led plan to slash funding to pay for another round of tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations. 

By The Numbers

  • 30 Percent Of Medicaid Enrollees Are Hispanic/Latino. Hispanic/Latino people make up 19.5 percent of the U.S. population, but nearly 30 percent of Medicaid enrollees. 
  • 1 In 5 Medicaid Enrollees Are Black. As of 2024, Black Americans make up 13.7 percent of the U.S. population, but about 20 percent of Medicaid enrollees. 
  • 2 in 5 Native American And American Indian People Are Enrolled In Medicaid. 4.4 million people identified as Native American and American Indian as of 2024. In 2022, 43 percent of the Native American and American Indian population had health coverage through Medicaid. 
  • 18 Percent Of Asian Americans Are Enrolled In Medicaid. Roughly 6.4 percent of the American population identify as Asian American equating to about 21 million people.
  • 35 Percent Of Native Hawaiian And Other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) Are Covered By Medicaid. That’s about 357,116 out of 1,020,332 NHOPI people.
  • More Than 1.36 Million People Could Gain Coverage If Holdout States Accepted Expansion. If Republicans did the right thing and expanded Medicaid in the remaining holdout states, more than 1.36 million uninsured adults could gain coverage; people of color make up 60 percent of this group, or roughly 780,000 people. 

Medicaid Reduces Disparities In Coverage. Increasing Medicaid access is the single most important action available to expand coverage and address access to quality care as a driver of health. This together with additional actions to address other social and structural determinants of health can reduce racial/ethnic disparities in the American health care system. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) led to historic reductions in racial/ethnic disparities in access to health care, but gaps in insurance coverage narrowed the most in states that adopted Medicaid expansion. 

Medicaid Expansion Is Essential For Addressing Health Disparities. Research confirms that Medicaid expansion saves lives and drastically reduces racial/ethnic health coverage disparities. In the remaining 10 holdout states who haven’t expanded Medicaid, 6 in 10 people in the coverage gap are people of color. States that expanded their Medicaid programs saw a 51 percent reduction in the gap between uninsured white and Black adults after expansion, and a 45 percent reduction between white and Hispanic/Latino adults.

Medicaid Is Essential For Children of Color. Children of color disproportionately rely on Medicaid coverage, making robust Medicaid access a critical racial/ethnic justice issue for American children. Children of color make up nearly 52 percent of all American children, but nearly 67 percent of the children on Medicaid. This coverage not only provides health coverage in the immediate term, but also provides significant long-term benefits, such as being less likely to be hospitalized and more likely to graduate high school and college.

Medicaid Coverage For Black Mothers Is Under Attack. The United States has the highest rate of maternal deaths of any high-income country, and Black mothers face a maternal mortality rate more than twice the rates of other races and ethnicities. In recent years, public health officials and advocates have been sounding the alarm on the need to address the U.S.’s maternal health crisis. Medicaid provides care to nearly two-thirds of Black moms and thanks to Democrats in Congress, states were given the option to extend coverage to new mothers for one year postpartum – 49 states, both red and blue, took advantage of it. With one in three pregnancy-related deaths occurring between six weeks and one year after birth, this extension is a vital policy in fighting the unacceptably high maternal mortality rate in the United States — but coverage could be at risk with GOP cuts to Medicaid. As part of their extremist and regressive crusade to erase all equity efforts, Republicans are targeting public health programs that collect data and address the unique challenges faced by Black moms. Republicans must be held accountable for dismantling life-saving health programs and coverage for new moms in order to hand out tax breaks to the wealthy. 

Medicaid Reduces Disparities In Rural Access To Care. 24 percent of rural Americans identify as a person of color. Rural Americans of color face a greater health disparity than their white counterparts due to barriers to health care access, reporting not having primary care providers, forgoing care due to cost, and having fair to poor health status. States that have expanded Medicaid have improved rural hospital financial performance and lower likelihood of hospital closures. When Arkansas and Kentucky accepted Medicaid expansion, adults in those states became more likely to have a personal doctor, obtain care for ongoing conditions, and have a yearly medical check up.

LGBTQI+ People of Color Have Seen Reduced Health Disparities. Due to both systemic factors as well as complex familial dynamics, the LGBTQI+ community is much more at risk of poverty and uninsurance than cisgender heterosexual Americans. Because of this, Medicaid has become a lifeline for the LGBTQI+ community, especially people of color. Around 46 percent of Black LGBTQI+ Americans and 43 percent of Latino LGTBQI+ Americans with incomes below 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Line qualify for Medicaid. As well, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) LGBTQI+ Americans are over two times as likely to have Medicaid as their primary insurance compared to cisgender heterosexual AAPI individuals.

Medicaid Improves Financial Security For Families. The racial/ethnic wealth gap in America is staggering. According to data from the US Census Bureau, in 2023, the annual median household income for white Americans was nearly $20,000 higher than for Hispanic/Latino households and nearly $30,000 higher compared to Black households. As a result, policies to boost financial well-being undoubtedly help people of color. After enrolling in Medicaid, a 2018 study found that low-income adults had $1,140 less in unpaid debt in states that expanded Medicaid. Over the past decade, research has shown the gap in medical debt between Medicaid expansion and holdout states has grown approximately 30 percent. In 2020, Americans living in holdout states carried an average of $375 more in medical debt than their counterparts in expansion states.

Medicaid Reduces Poverty And Inequity. Poverty can produce negative long-term consequences for children and adults alike. Medicaid has long been considered one of the most effective anti-poverty programs in the nation, and its expansion has significantly improved health outcomes for people of color. In a nation where Americans are one medical bill away from being pushed into poverty, Medicaid serves as a lifeline not only for health care, but for economic stability. A January 2021 study from Health Affairs found that the ACA helped reduce income inequality across the board, but much more dramatically in Medicaid expansion states.

Medicaid Helps People With Behavioral Health Conditions. States that have expanded Medicaid have added behavioral health benefits, including mental health and substance use disorder care, that particularly benefit beneficiaries of color who have disproportionately been affected by these conditions. 28 percent of Black people and 27 percent of Latinos suffer from a mental health or substance use disorder. Medicaid is the single-largest payer for mental health services in America. 40 percent of adults on Medicaid are living with a serious mental health or substance use disorder.

Medicaid Is An Important Safety Net To Ensure People Stay Covered. Medicaid plays a key role to ensure people who lose private coverage continue to get the care they need. Right now, Republicans are working to take away premium tax credits from millions of Americans, which will raise costs for 24 million Americans who buy coverage on their own. Because of enhanced tax credits, Blacks and Latinos experienced the greatest reductions in the percent of uninsured people. If Medicaid funding is cut, many of these families will have nowhere to turn for affordable coverage.

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In News

THIS WEEK: During Recess, Protect Our Care Holds Events Across The Country Holding Republicans Accountable for Backing Medicaid Cuts

***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR APRIL 14 – 18***

Protect Our Care Holds Events In California, Iowa, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin

This week, Protect Our Care is hosting events across the nation headlined by U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and U.S. Representative Betty McCollum (MN-04) to call on Republicans to put an end to their war on health care. Protect Our Care is also joining events alongside SEIU to discuss the importance of Medicaid to patients, workers, and communities. 

Last week, House Republicans voted to press forward with their budget that includes $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid to fund tax breaks for the wealthy and large corporations. Speakers will address the urgent need for Congress to stop Republican efforts to slash Medicaid and they will call on lawmakers to protect affordable access to health care for Americans, not take it away.

April is Medicaid Awareness Month, and Protect Our Care is continuing its “Hands Off Medicaid” campaign with theme weeks to underscore the importance of Medicaid across the country. Alongside partners, lawmakers, and other advocates, Protect Our Care is working to defend Medicaid from the Republican-led plan to slash funding to pay for another round of tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations. 

MONDAY

NEW HAMPSHIRE

WHO:
Samuel Burgess, Health Care Policy Coordinator, New Futures
Tess Stack Kuenning, President and CEO, Bi-State Primary Care Association
Ed Shanshala, CEO, Ammonoosuc Community Health Services
Jayme Simoes, Protect Our Care New Hampshire

WHAT: Virtual Press Conference

WHERE: Register for the Zoom event here (Registration Required)

WHEN: Monday, April 14, 2025 at 10 AM ET

PENNSYLVANIA

WHO:
SEIU PA
Community members impacted by Medicaid cuts
Local partners

WHAT: Medicaid Defense Rally

WHERE: Rep. Mackenzie’s Office, 1125 S Cedar Crest Blvd, Allentown, PA 18103

WHEN: Monday, April 14, 2025 at 12 PM ET

TUESDAY

WISCONSIN

WHO:
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin
Joe Zepecki, Protect Our Care Wisconsin
Storytellers

WHAT: In-Person Medicaid Event

WHERE: Email Joe Zepecki at [email protected] for location

WHEN: Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at 10 AM CT // 11 AM ET

WEDNESDAY

PENNSYLVANIA

WHO:
SEIU
Lancaster County Democrats

WHAT: Medicaid Defense Rally

WHERE: Lancaster City Square

WHEN: Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at 5:30 PM ET

MINNESOTA

WHO:
Representative Betty McCollum (MN-04)
Trent Andersen, Protect Our Care Minnesota
Storytellers

WHAT: In-Person Medicaid Event

WHERE: Minnesota State Capitol, 75 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard., St Paul, MN 55155 Press Room

WHEN: Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at 10 AM CT // 11 AM ET

IOWA

WHO:
Medicaid Storyteller

WHAT: Rep. Miller-Meeks Office Visit

WHERE: Rep. Miller-Meeks Office, 126 N Howard St, Indianola, Iowa 50125

WHEN: Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at TBA

CALIFORNIA

WHO:
Kids, parents, advocates and the broader community

WHAT: Rally to Save Children’s Healthcare

WHERE: Rep. Valadao’s Office, 2700 M St, Bakersfield, CA 93301

WHEN: Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at 4 PM PT // 7 PM ET

THURSDAY

PENNSYLVANIA

WHO:
AFSCME
SEIU

WHAT: Medicaid Accountability Town Hall

WHERE: AFSCME Conference Center, 150 South 43rd Street, Harrisburg, PA 17111

WHEN:  Thursday, April 17, 2025 at 6 PM ET

CALIFORNIA

WHO:
Kids, parents, advocates and the broader community

WHAT: Rally to Save Children’s Healthcare

WHERE: Rep. Kim’s Office, 180 N Riverview Drive, Anaheim, CA 92808

WHEN: Thursday, April 17, 2025 at 4:30 PM PT // 7:30 PM ET

ashoup
In News

ROUNDUP: Republicans Charge Ahead to Gut Medicaid and Throw Millions Off Their Health Care to Give Tax Breaks to Billionaires 

Yesterday, House Republicans voted to move forward with their budget which includes $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy and large corporations. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, such a drastic proposal will lead to the largest cuts in Medicaid history and rip health care away from millions of seniors in nursing homes, children, veterans, working families, and more. Now that Congressional Republicans have approved Medicaid cuts once again, they will begin discussions on how they plan to slash the program and millions of Americans’ health care. 

Following their devastating vote, Republicans have been lying to the American people. On camera and in public, they promise never to cut Medicaid, insisting they’re just targeting “waste.” But behind closed doors, they’re deciding who to throw off health care – grandma’s in nursing homes, cancer patients, children and adults with disabilities, or hardworking families in rural communities. It’s cruel, calculated, and dishonest. 

New York Times: Republicans Clash Over Medicaid in Hunt to Pay for Trump’s Agenda 

  • “Republican leaders have insisted that they have no plans to cut Medicaid, and Mr. Johnson said that Mr. Trump would not endorse cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits. “We’re going to protect the benefits that everyone is legally entitled to,” Mr. Johnson said. But it will be nearly impossible for Republicans to get to $1.5 trillion in spending cuts without touching Medicaid. Though Mr. Johnson suggested the party would consider imposing work requirements and rooting out waste, fraud and abuse, those changes would almost certainly not be enough to reach their target.’”

The Hill: All eyes on Medicaid 

  • “Until now, the discussions have involved theoretical numbers, with lawmakers avoiding any specifics about Medicaid. They’ve waved vaguely at the idea of cutting “waste fraud and abuse” without diving into just how big the cuts will be and who will be impacted. That’s all likely going to change.”

 Axios: House clears budget hurdle with Medicaid fight ahead

  • “Between the lines: There is tension between the goal of hitting $1.5 trillion in cuts with the pledge to also not harm any Medicaid benefits. ‘Senate Republicans passed the budget resolution on a promise of fewer cuts to Medicaid,” Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden wrote on X. “House Republicans are set to pass it on a promise of deep cuts to the tune of $1.5 trillion dollars. Both things cannot be true.’”

New York Times: Chip Roy Says Promise of Deep Entitlement Cuts Won His Vote

  • “Mr. Roy ended up being one of more than a dozen G.O.P. holdouts who ultimately supported the resolution on Thursday. Not long afterward, he explained his turnabout. He said he had “reluctantly voted” for the measure only after President Trump and his party’s House and Senate leaders had promised privately that they would embrace far more spending reductions, specifically deep cuts to entitlement programs including Medicaid and the elimination of clean energy tax credits.”

Punchbowl News: House Republicans’ next headache: The Medicaid fight

  • “There would be intense pressure from House Freedom Caucus members and other deficit hawks to draft a reconciliation package that meets the House’s spending cut instructions. That would mean $880 billion in cuts from the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction – the vast majority of which would need to come from Medicaid.” 

The Hill: House GOP adopts Trump budget blueprint after last-minute scramble 

  • “The adopted budget resolution directs the House Energy and Commerce Committee to find at least $880 billion in spending cuts, which many moderates worry will require deep slashes to Medicaid — a nonstarter for them. The comments on Thursday about finding at least $1.5 trillion in cuts appeared to exacerbate those concerns.”

Business Insider: Republicans Pass Trump-Backed Tax Plan That Could Drastically Cut Medicaid

  • Johnson and GOP leaders have repeatedly stressed that their bill does not explicitly cut Medicaid, a healthcare program for millions of disabled and low-income Americans. However, Medicaid will likely get cut by or near $880 billion over a decade, as Medicaid and Medicare, which Trump has pledged not to cut, comprise most of the committee’s budget. The federal government picks up the bulk of the tab for Medicaid spending. As of 2023, the federal share was about 72%.

Medicare Rights Center: House Adopts Senate Budget Plan, Laying the Groundwork for Significant Health Care Cuts

  • “[Republicans] are reportedly considering damaging policies like eligibility restrictions, funding rollbacks, and access barriers. Other vital programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), are also at risk, and Medicare could also be in play.”
  • “[A]ny cut to Medicaid is a cut to Medicare. Over 12 million people with Medicare also have health coverage through Medicaid, which pays for necessary services that Medicare does not. It is the primary payor for long-term services and supports for people who need home- and community-based services and nursing home care, and it also plays a vital role in helping support family caregivers.”
  • “According to recent analysis, by 2060, 23% of the population will be 65 or older (up from 15% in 2016), and 19 million Americans will be 85 or older (a 198% increase from 2016).”

Mountain State Spotlight: West Virginia’s Republicans Said They Wouldn’t Cut Medicaid. Then They Voted to Cut Medicaid.

  • “In early March, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito looked into the camera and told anyone watching that she wouldn’t kick any West Virginians off Medicaid… Sen. Jim Justice told Axios last month that he had concerns about cuts to Medicaid, which serves nearly 30% of the state’s population. Last weekend, Capito and Justice voted to move along a budget plan that would require $880 billion in cuts over the next decade, largely to Medicaid. When offered an amendment to prevent those cuts, the two Republicans voted with their party against it. Had they switched their votes, it could’ve stopped the cuts.”
  • “West Virginia could lose over half a billion federal dollars under this proposal, according to one analysis released last month. On a per capita basis, the state would have the largest cut in the nation. And state Republicans have already shown they’re ready to throw thousands off Medicaid if Congress cuts the program.”

The Gothamist: Half of NYC is on Medicaid. Here’s What To Know About the Fight in Congress.

  • “New Yorkers have a lot on the line as the Republican-controlled Congress considers cuts to Medicaid that potentially total $880 billion over the course of the next decade, according to health care officials, lawmakers and policy experts… About half of the 8 million residents in the five boroughs are covered through the [Medicaid] program, which pays for their doctor’s visits, hospital stays, and addiction and mental health treatment. It also pays for most long-term care for elderly and disabled residents, which is generally not covered by other forms of insurance… Statewide, traditional Medicaid covers about 7 million New Yorkers, while [Medicaid Expansion] covers another 1.6 million.”
  • “If $880 billion in cuts were implemented evenly over a decade and applied proportionally to each state, New York would lose about $10 billion a year, or $400 per resident, according to one KFF analysis. If New York wanted to preserve Medicaid coverage, KFF determined, the state could offset the losses by raising taxes 7%. Or it could opt to cut education spending by $14,200 per student.”

Newsweek: What Republican Budget That Passed House Means for Medicare, SNAP

  • “The scope of the proposed committee-level cuts would represent one of the largest rollbacks of public benefit programs in recent memory. The combined reduction in Medicaid and SNAP could total more than $1.1 trillion over the next decade, leading to the loss of more than 1 million jobs and a $113 billion hit to state economies by 2026, according to a comprehensive analysis by the Commonwealth Fund.”

Modern Healthcare: U.S. House Speaker’s District Relies on Medicaid – He’s Pushing for Cuts

  • “Of the eight GOP-held House districts with the most Medicaid enrollees due to the expansion, four are in Louisiana. Johnson’s largely rural district ranks sixth in expansion enrollees. Among them is Chloe Stovall, 23, who works in the produce aisle at the SuperValu grocery store in Vivian, Louisiana. She said her take-home wage working full time is $200 a week. She doesn’t own a car and walks a mile to work…“I’m just barely surviving,” she said.”
  • “Desoto CEO Todd Eppler said Medicaid cuts could make it harder for his hospital to repay the loans and for patients to access care. ‘I just hope that the people who are making these decisions have thought deeply about it and have some context of the real-world implications,’ he said, ‘because it’s going to affect us as a hospital and going to affect our patients.’”

Talking Points Memo: House GOP Hardliners Cave, Unlocking Process to Make Sweeping Medicaid Cuts

  • “Johnson said Republicans are ‘committed to finding at least $1.5 trillion in savings for the American people while also preserving our essential programs,’ adding that they will ‘aim much higher’ than just the $1.5 trillion. Johnson indicated Medicaid is one of those ’essential programs’ that will be preserved, but major Medicaid cuts are baked into the budget resolution’s requirements.”

Daily Kos: House GOP Passes Budget That Guts Medicaid to Give Tax Cuts to the Rich

  • “Until now, Republicans lied by saying that their budget wouldn’t slash Medicaid and food stamps—something they could do because the budget only included topline numbers each committee was instructed to cut. But now GOP lawmakers will have to actually put pen to paper and lay out the specific cuts they will make.”

New Republic: Mike Johnson Reveals His Disastrous Plans for Medicaid

  • “‘What we’ve talked about is returning work requirements, so for example you don’t have able-bodied young men on a program that’s designed for single mothers and the elderly and disabled.’ [said Speaker Johnson]… But Republican proposals to introduce a work requirement to Medicaid have thus far asked recipients to navigate work-reporting and verification systems on a monthly basis—a detail that would require significant federal funding. The plans would also negate coverage for individuals who find themselves temporarily unemployed, such as those who were recently fired or laid off. A February report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that introducing work requirements to the insurance program could strip upward of 36 million Americans of their health coverage—half of Medicaid’s 72 million enrollees.”

East County Magazine: House GOP Approves Economic Attack on the Poor to Fund ‘Big Payout’ for Billionaires

  • “In a party-line vote, House Republicans on Thursday approved a budget blueprint that sets the stage for the GOP to pass another round of tax cuts for the rich, paid for in part by slashing Medicaid, federal nutrition assistance, and other critical programs.”
  • “Sharon Parrott, president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said in a statement that ‘in this budget framework, there is no way to cut $1.5 trillion in spending while protecting health coverage through Medicaid and food assistance through [the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program].'”
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In News

STATEMENT: Following House Vote to Slash Medicaid, House Republicans Double Down on Gutless Lies to the American People

Washington, D.C. – After voting to slash nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid to fund tax breaks for the wealthy and large corporations, Republicans in Congress have doubled down on lies about their budget resolution. The Congressional Budget Office has exposed the truth, proving that GOP budget goals can not be reached without cutting Medicaid. Multiple polls, including one from Trump’s own pollster, have found Americans are opposed to any cuts to Medicaid. But make no mistake: Republicans are gaslighting the American people to try and avoid the backlash they know would follow. 

In response, Protect Our Care President Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement:

“Republicans are gutless liars, trying to pull the wool over the eyes of their constituents. The so-called moderates have refused to stand up to Donald Trump on behalf of their constituents, leaving them high and dry. Instead, they have chosen to gaslight the American people, saying the cuts will only root out waste, fraud, and abuse, but we know the truth. There is no way to cut $880 billion from Medicaid without throwing millions of people off their health care. This means seniors will be thrown out of nursing homes, kids with disabilities won’t get the support they need, patients fighting cancer won’t be able to afford their treatment – the list goes on and on. When it comes to this budget vote, the only fraud I see is the Republican lawmakers trying to take life-saving health care away from their constituents in order to fund tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations.”

Background

The Republican Budget Takes Health Care Away From Working People, Seniors, Veterans, And Children To Give Tax Breaks To The Rich. As the Georgetown Center for Children and Families found, Republicans’ math does not add up. The CBO confirmed that Republicans cannot make their proposed $880 billion in cuts without drastically cutting Medicaid and throwing millions of hardworking families off their coverage, closing rural hospitals, and kicking seniors out of nursing homes. 

FACT CHECK: The House Budget Resolution Orders Nearly $1 Trillion In Targeted Cuts – Nearly All of Which Are “Expected To Come From Medicaid.” As KFF reported, “The House Energy & Commerce Committee (which has jurisdiction over Medicaid) is instructed to reduce the federal deficit by at least $880 billion over 10 years, with nearly all those cuts expected to come from Medicaid.”

Read some of the most egregious lies: 

Ken Calvert (CA-41) released a statement denying that the cuts will impact Medicaid:  “Let me be crystal clear – nothing approved by the House today changes any benefits for our safety net programs, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and veterans’ benefits.”

Rob Bresnahan (PA-08) published a statement claiming it was a lie that the budget cuts would gut Medicaid: “I voted today, as I did in February, to continue working toward a final federal budget that delivers for the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania…As I have said countless times, like President Trump, I won’t support a budget that guts Medicaid, and I have made that clear to House Republican leadership. There will be plenty of fake news reports and fearmongering, claiming that today’s vote guts Medicaid, which is patently false. This is a narrative spun up by professional liars who profit off people’s fears instead of offering real solutions. Shame on those who perpetuate this lie and on those who choose to cover this lie as truth.” 

Andrew Garbarino (NY-02) claimed that the budget cuts will protect Medicaid: “This morning, I voted to pass the Budget Resolution. Let me be clear: the resolution did not make any funding cuts to specific programs. This was just the first step. Now, committees get to work determining the policy substance of the reconciliation package. This is how we secure SALT relief, protect Medicaid, and deliver on the promises made to the American people.”

Young Kim (CA-40) claimed the budget resolution is “Protecting & strengthening key programs like Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, & veterans’ care,” and, “gets us one step closer to getting our country back on the right track for future generations.”

Nick LaLota (NY-01) released a statement claiming that he was committed to protecting Medicaid despite voting for budget cuts: “Before this morning’s vote, the Speaker privately assured a few of my colleagues and me that ongoing discussions with the HFC hadn’t changed his commitment to protecting Medicaid. I was glad to hear him reaffirm that commitment publicly after the vote as well.” He later claimed that “Medicaid reforms in the One Big Beautiful Bill will be compassionate: removing illegals, adding work requirements for able-bodied adults, and eligibility checks every 6 months.” 

Mike Lawler (NY-17) claimed back in February that people were “fear-mongering” about Medicaid cuts in the budget resolution: “And let’s clear something up: Some are fear-mongering about Medicaid cuts. Guess what? Medicaid isn’t even mentioned in this resolution. Not once.” Lawler voted for the resolution after promising his constituents in February and March that he would not vote to cut Medicaid. 

David Valadao (CA-22) missed the vote but released a statement in support of the budget resolution. He also baselessly claimed: “I’m happy to hear @SpeakerJohnson remains committed to ensuring our hardworking families have access to Medicaid. As the budget process moves forward, I’ll continue advocating to strengthen critical programs for my constituents in the Central Valley,” and declared, “I’ll only support a final reconciliation bill that strengthens Medicaid, SNAP, and other critical programs that our Valley families rely on.”

Dan Newhouse (WA-04) claimed the Medicaid cuts were delivering for the American people: “Passing the budget resolution unlocks the next step in the reconciliation process allowing Congress to reduce federal spending, lower inflation, and advance a conservative agenda to get our country back on track. It will be no easy task, but Republicans must stay unified to deliver for the American people.”

ashoup
In News

Black Maternal Health Week: Moms Face Worsening Health Crisis As Republicans Work to Slash Health Care and Dismantle Lifesaving Services

Every Mom Deserves The Highest Level of Maternal Health Care, But President Trump And Republicans In Congress Are Focused On Gutting Care To Hand Out Tax Breaks To Billionaires

April 11 through April 17 marks Black Maternal Health Week, a harrowing reminder that in the richest country in the world, mothers are not receiving the care they need. The United States has the highest rate of maternal deaths of any high-income country, and Black mothers face a maternal mortality rate more than twice the rates of other races and ethnicities. In recent years, public health officials and advocates have been sounding the alarm on the need to address the U.S.’s maternal health crisis. Instead of protecting new mothers and infants, Republicans seem determined to make matters worse by gutting Medicaid, which provides care to nearly two-thirds of Black moms, and slashing critical health programs that protect, support, and improve maternal health. As part of their extremist and regressive crusade to erase all equity efforts, Republicans are targeting public health programs that address the unique challenges faced by Black moms. Republicans must be held accountable for dismantling life-saving health programs and coverage for new moms in order to hand out tax breaks to the wealthy. 

In response, Protect Our Care Policy and Health Equity Senior Advisor Joi Chaney issued the following statement:

“Republicans claim to be the party of family values, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. As Black moms across the nation face a maternal mortality crisis that is heartbreaking and largely preventable, Republicans are actively dismantling programs that save the lives of mothers and babies. One thing is clear: the Republicans are more focused on rewarding the rich, even if it means trampling on the health of women and families.”

Republicans Are Gutting Medicaid To Pay For More Tax Breaks For Corporations And The Ultrawealthy, Threatening Care For Nearly Two-Thirds Of Black Mothers. Thanks to Medicaid, hundreds of thousands of pregnant women across the country receive prenatal visits, ultrasounds, and screenings for conditions such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and postpartum depression. Republicans are pushing for hundreds of billions in indiscriminate cuts to the program to fund tax breaks for the wealthy, which would rip care away from millions of women and worsen Black maternal health outcomes. This could lead to more long-term health problems and lives lost for the 64 percent of Black mothers who use the program. Those aren’t family values worthy of the American people.

Republicans Are Endangering Access To Critical Postpartum Care. Medicaid is crucial for Black moms navigating postpartum recovery. Thanks to Democrats in Congress, states were given the option to extend coverage to new mothers for one year postpartum – 49 states, both red and blue, took advantage of it. With one in three pregnancy-related deaths occurring between six weeks and one year after birth, this extension is a vital policy in fighting the growing maternal mortality rate in the United States — but coverage could be at risk with GOP cuts.

Republicans Are Terminating Access To Lifesaving Procedures and Medications. Since a Trump-appointed conservative majority overtook the Supreme Court and reversed Roe v. Wade, nearly 60 percent of Black women now live in states that either currently have abortion restrictions or have plans to enact them. In 2024, Amber Thurman and Candi Miller became two of many women who tragically and unnecessarily lost their lives to abortion bans. Republican efforts to restrict access to abortion medications and procedures endanger the lives of Black women.

Republicans Are Shutting Down Research And Services That Improve Care For Black Moms. Republicans are taking a chainsaw to the federal health programs that keep moms safe and save lives. They have illegally fired thousands of staff, including those who keep the postpartum depression hotline running, those who research and collect crucial data on maternal mortality, and those who respond to safety concerns about infant formula. They have also shut down the offices of minority health at both HHS and CMS. 

The GOP Is Blocking Legislation That Will Save Countless Lives. Research shows that over 80 percent of maternal deaths are preventable. Yet, session after session, Republicans have refused to support the Momnibus Act — legislation that would provide millions in funding to address the root causes of America’s maternal mortality crisis and address social determinants of health contributing to maternal mortality, while providing funding to grow and diversify the perinatal workforce, giving health care workers the tools and training necessary to confront discriminatory and biased practices. Instead, Republicans believe extending tax cuts for the rich is more important.

ashoup
In News

BREAKING: House Republicans Vote to Move Forward With Gutting Medicaid

House Votes Again to Approve $880 Billion in Medicaid Cuts to Fund Tax Breaks for the Wealthy

Washington, D.C. — House Republicans voted to press forward with their budget that includes $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid to fund tax breaks for the wealthy and large corporations. Their budget threatens to rip health care away from more than 70 million Americans, including children, seniors in nursing homes, veterans, people fighting cancer, and working families. Medicaid not only supports the health and well-being of millions of Americans, it strengthens local economies, sustains rural hospitals and community health centers, ensures access to critical long-term care services, and more. With their vote today, Republicans are rapidly closing in on their goal of slashing the largest health care provider in the country just to give tax cuts to billionaires and big companies.

In response, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement: 

“This vote marks a dark day in American history. By cutting Medicaid, Republicans are pulling the rug out from under everyday Americans. One in five Americans depends on Medicaid to access essential care, from seeing a doctor and filling prescriptions to receiving life-saving treatments. Medicaid is a lifeline, but instead of listening to the cries of the American people, Republicans are hellbent on delivering Trump’s billionaire tax cuts on a silver platter. 

“Republicans can lie all day about what this vote means, but the truth is that they voted for devastating Medicaid cuts in order to hand out tax breaks for the rich. At a time when Trump is tanking the economy and ripping apart the nation’s public health system with the help of Elon Musk, Americans cannot afford these devastating cuts to Medicaid.”

April is Medicaid Awareness Month, and Protect Our Care is leading the charge to defend Medicaid and the care that Americans count on. Throughout the month of April, Protect Our Care will release reports, publish fact sheets, host events around the country, and continue its “Hands Off Medicaid” campaign, demanding Republicans abandon their cuts to Medicaid. 

Background:

The Republican Budget Takes Health Care Away From Working People, Seniors, Veterans, And Children To Give Tax Breaks To The Rich. As the Georgetown Center for Children and Families found, Republicans’ math does not add up. The CBO confirmed that Republicans cannot make their proposed $880 billion in cuts without drastically cutting Medicaid and throwing millions of hardworking families off their coverage, closing rural hospitals, and kicking seniors out of nursing homes. 

Medicaid Is Extremely Popular, And Voters Will Hold Republicans Accountable For Ripping It Away From Their Loved Ones and Neighbors. Recent polling found that 71 percent of voters who backed Trump say cutting Medicaid would be unacceptable. Republicans are making a grave mistake by assuming the voters who supported them, many of whom rely on Medicaid, are not smart enough to see through their lies. Even Steve Bannon is warning Republicans against cutting Medicaid, arguing they are “dead wrong” if they don’t think “a lot of MAGAs [are] on Medicaid.”

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NEW: Protect Our Care Rolls Through Capitol Hill With Mobile Billboard Calling on Congress to Reject Cuts to Medicaid

Protect Our Care Launches A Mobile Billboard on Capitol Hill With Ads Featuring Steve Bannon Cautioning Republicans: “A Lot Of MAGAs [Are] On Medicaid.”

View the Ads Here

Washington, D.C. — Today, Protect Our Care is launching a mobile billboard as the House is set to gut Medicaid in order to fund tax breaks for the wealthy and large corporations. The mobile billboard will circle Capitol Hill from 11 AM to 7 PM, displaying new ads highlighting widespread opposition to the Republican plan to slash $880 billion to Medicaid. The ads, first reported in The Hill, feature Trump loyalist and MAGA cheerleader Steve Bannon, warning Republicans to be “careful” because there are “a lot of MAGAs on Medicaid.” They also feature outraged constituents attending town halls and urging their representatives to protect their health care. The mobile billboard calls on Republicans to listen to their constituents and abandon their scheme to cut Medicaid. 

If the House approves this budget, Republicans will be responsible for the largest Medicaid cuts in history. Gutting Medicaid threatens to rip health care away from more than 70 million Americans, including children, seniors in nursing homes, veterans, people fighting cancer, and working families. Medicaid not only supports the health and well-being of its enrollees, it strengthens local economies, sustains rural hospitals and community health centers, ensures access to critical long-term care services, and more. Learn more here. 

“Republicans are facing a clear choice: stand up for their constituents or stand up for the wealthy and big corporations,” said Protect Our Care President Brad Woodhouse. “Republicans’ budget proposal jeopardizes coverage for over 70 million Americans – that means health care for millions of children, seniors in nursing homes, people with disabilities, cancer patients, veterans, and more. If Republicans get their way, there won’t be a community in this nation that isn’t impacted. We’re calling on Republicans to protect Medicaid and put an end to the war on health care.” 

The ads target the following districts: David Schweikert (AZ-01), David Valadao (CA-22), Young Kim (CA-40), Ken Calvert (CA-41), Nick LaLota (NY-01), Andrew Garbarino (NY-02), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07), Rob Bresnahan (PA-08), and Dan Newhouse (WA-04).

Sample Mobile Billboard/Digital Ad Script for AZ-01:

Fox News Host: “In the bill the Republicans are putting forward, there will be an eight-hundred-eighty billion dollar cut to Medicaid.”

Narrator: Congress wants to cut Medicaid…. 

Woman at Town Hall: “I’m asking you today, please do not cut the federal Medicaid budget.”

Narrator: ….and people aren’t happy about it.

Man at Town Hall: “You don’t get to take our healthcare – get off me! You don’t get to do this to us!”

Steve Bannon:  “Medicaid you’ve got to be careful, cause a lot of MAGA’s on Medicaid. I’m telling you. If you don’t think so, you’re dead wrong.” 

Narrator: Call Congressman Schweikert and tell him to stop these cuts to Medicaid.

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Faces of Medicaid: Who Are the People Who Will Suffer if Republicans Get Their Way?

Millions of Americans across the country rely on Medicaid to see doctors, fill prescriptions, and get the care they need. They are members of our family, our neighbors, and our community. For them, Medicaid is a lifeline.

But Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have made it crystal clear: they’re coming for Medicaid. This week, Republicans are expected to cement their plans to slash nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid, threatening the health care of over 70 million Americans. Their plans could rip away health care from children, people with disabilities, seniors in nursing homes, and hardworking families just to hand out more tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations.

These cuts put people’s lives on the line. The stories below come from Americans who know exactly what Medicaid means because they rely on it for critical coverage. They are the ones who suffer when Republicans try to rip coverage away.

Sheila Bingham, 47, Little Rock, AR.

  • “The 47-year-old receives both Medicare and Medicaid and is being treated for a rare cancer, debilitating migraines, type 2 diabetes, erratic blood pressure and intense pain. ‘I rely on Medicaid to pay my Medicare premium of $106 a month,’ she told Truthout. ‘I won’t survive if they start taking this out of my $1,400 disability check.’” [Truthout]

Tina Ewing-Wilson, 58, CA.

  • “‘If they reduce my budget, that doesn’t change the fact that I need 24-hour care,’ said Ewing-Wilson, who has struggled with seizures and developmental disabilities her entire life. ‘If they cut it too much, people will die or they’ll lose their freedoms.’” [AlterNet]

Jenny McLelland, mother of a 13-year-old boy who has a breathing disability, CA. 

  • “For her son, Medi-Cal is ‘a matter of life and death,’ she added. She believes if [Rep. Vince] Fong understood how vital Medi-Cal is to families, he would work to make the system better.” [AlterNet]

Beth Martinko, mother of Josh Lockwood-Wewer, 33, Anaheim, CA.

  • “As an adult with severe autism, Lockwood-Wewer depends on around-the-clock support from multiple aides. His caregivers prepare his meals and watch as he eats to make sure he doesn’t choke. They drive him everywhere from doctor’s appointments to his favorite restaurant, a fast food joint called Paul’s Place where he orders two chicken tenders every time. And they administer his regimen of a dozen daily medications to control his psychosis, depression and anxiety.”
  • “Martinko said she is doing everything possible to ensure Medicaid funding remains available for the programs that have allowed Lockwood-Wewer to remain healthy and happy at home, because without them, ‘The light would go out in Josh’s life.’” [Inkl]

Amanda Moore, mother of 9-year-old Jackson who has Angelman syndrome, IN.

  • “‘Our fear is that any sort of these cuts could impact his medications, it could impact the therapies that you need,’ said Moore, a Hamilton County resident. ‘… if it was left to be covered by private insurance or families? That’s a crisis. Our private insurance covers six therapy sessions a year. He gets five a week in order to give him the quality of life he deserves. So the fear of any of that going away? It’s a terrible thought.’” [Indiana Capital Chronicle]

Emily Johnson, 34, IA. 

  • “What’s more, not only will the cuts sever her financial bridge to her daily treatment, but it could stop her getting the surgeries she sorely needs. These are crucial treatments that could improve her long-standing health issues. These would help her regain a quality of life that enables her to not just survive, but live with fewer life-threatening, debilitating symptoms, and she hopes, even pursue her passions.” [The Canary]

Chloe Stovall, 23, Vivian, LA.

  • “She said her take-home wage working full time is $200 a week. She doesn’t own a car and walks a mile to work. The store provides health coverage, but she said she won’t qualify until she’s worked there for a full year — and even then, it will cost more than Medicaid, which is free. ‘I’m just barely surviving,’ she said.”
  • “Stovall said almost everyone she knows on Medicaid works at least one job. ‘I don’t even own a TV,’ she said.” [KFF Health News]

Doris Luccous, 24, LA.

  • “‘Most everybody you know is on Medicaid here,’ said Doris Luccous, 24. Luccous said she makes $250 a week after taxes as a housekeeper at a nursing home while raising her 2-year-old daughter in her childhood home. While shopping with her father — who doesn’t work, because of a disability — she said she counts on Medicaid for her bipolar medicines and to pay for therapy appointments. ‘I don’t know where I would be without it,’ she said.” [KFF Health News]

Benjamin Andrade, 57, LA. 

  • “Sitting in a David Raines clinic in Bossier City, Benjamin Andrade, 57, said having Medicaid has been a lifesaver since he needed heart surgery in 2020.”
  • “Without Medicaid, he said, ‘it would be very hard for me to pay for all the medicines I take.’” [KFF Health News]

Dominique Youngblood, 31, LA. 

  • “Dominique Youngblood, 31, who was at the clinic for a dental checkup, said she’s had Medicaid most of her life. ‘Medicaid helps me so I don’t have to pay out-of-pocket going to the doctors,’ she said.”
  • “Asked about GOP efforts to scale back the program, she said, ‘It’s not fair, because it helps a lot of people who cannot afford medications and emergency room trips, and those are costs you can’t control.’” [KFF Health News]

Joel Williams, 61, MN.

  • “Joel Williams, a 61-year-old kidney transplant recipient, says he worried about what care will look like for him. Williams was able to receive 11 years of dialysis and pay for multiple daily medications because of Medicaid. ‘He wouldn’t be here today without Medicaid,’ said Josh Horn, his clinical care coordinator RN. Williams, a former Chicago police officer disabled by asthma and diabetes, now depends on the program for specialized transplant care.” [KARE 11]

Rachelle Kivanoski, Brooklyn, NY. 

  • “Brooklyn, New York, parent Rachelle Kivanoski is the mother of a 42-year-old son who has an intellectual disability. He has been living in a four-person group home since 2020, and although he currently has both Medicare and Medicaid, Kivanoski told Truthout that she worries that changes might close some programs or diminish the services that he receives. ‘The expectation is that something truly catastrophic will happen,’ she said. ‘So many services are provided by Medicaid here in New York — community day programs, group homes, employment projects.’” [Truthout]

Kelly Smith, 57, New York City, NY. 

  • ‘The need for health care unites us all,’ Smith told Truthout. ‘Right now, I’m terrified of losing Medicaid and being unable to get injections for pain control. They’re the only thing that makes it possible for me to be on my game.’ [Truthout]

Kym Clarine, Bronx, NY. 

  • “If she loses Medicaid, she will have to forgo her annual physical exam, and neither she nor her 12-year-old daughter will be able to visit the dentist for regular check-ups. ‘Each visit costs $150 without insurance,’ she said. ‘I can’t afford that.’” [Truthout]

Eshawney Gaston, Durham, NC.

  • “She said her daughter requires specialized medical care and physical therapy because of her sickle cell anemia, health care Gaston would not be able to afford without help from Medicaid. ‘We all have to stand up and fight together because health care is a human right,’ Gaston said. ‘People don’t use Medicaid because they want to, I use it because I have to, because I can’t afford to do it on my own, because if I could, I would.’” [NC Newsline]

MaryAnn Ryan, mother to 30-year-old Kelly who has cerebral palsy, Gaston County, NC.

  • “MaryAnn Ryan said her family’s Medicaid benefits are ‘very crucial. We started getting services when she was 3 years old,’ MaryAnn Ryan said. ‘They provided caregivers so that I could get out. For her medicine, I have to literally put them in her mouth and make sure she swallows them, cut up her food, help her with bathing, hygiene, you name it.’”
  • “‘It could affect us, and I don’t know how,’ MaryAnn Ryan shared. ‘I need an income, and she needs to stay out of an institution, and this is how we make it work. In other words, without Medicaid help, I’d be forced to have her institutionalized. I’m 65. At what point can I no longer take care of her?’” [WCNC]

Carly Durham, mother of Niyah, 11, Richmond, TX. 

  • “My 11-year-old daughter, Niyah, has Down syndrome, autism and is a stroke survivor. Medicaid is what allows her to access essential therapies that help her learn to communicate, navigate her environment and develop skills that bring her greater independence. It helps cover in-home support, which makes it possible for our family to function. I can be not only her caregiver but also her mother.”
  • “And still, the need outweighs the funding. My 12-year-old son, Carter, also has Down syndrome, but unlike his sister, he doesn’t receive or qualify for Medicaid services in Texas. He has been on the Medicaid waiver waitlist since 2016. His number on the list is 56,034.” [Austin American-Statesman]

Rebecca Powers, Lost Creek, WV.

  • “Rebecca Powers, of Lost Creek in Harrison County, was born into addiction. Now, she works as a cashier and clerk and uses Medicaid to pay for the mental health medication and addiction treatment she needs to live a stable life, visiting her kids and taking care of herself. She says without it, it’s likely she will lose her job, lose her home, lose visits with her kids and experience a mental health crisis. ‘To be honest, that scares me to death,’ she said. ‘I make $9 an hour, hardly enough to live.’” [Mountain State Spotlight]

Kim Frederick, mother of Matt, 17, WI. 

  • “Frederick’s family has relied on Medicaid to help pay for Matt’s care since he was born. He spent a considerable amount of time in the hospital as an infant. Once he became medically stable, he enrolled in Birth to 3, a program partially funded by Medicaid. The program paid for in-home therapy visits, which Frederick credits with advancing Matt’s speech and motor skills.” 
  • “‘(Matt) is always going to need extra support in the community,’ Frederick said. ‘I will do whatever I have to do for Matt, but I can’t replace these well-developed programs.’” [La Crosse Tribune]

Karena Wegner, caretaker of Dana Horstman, Bangor, WI.

  • “For Dana Horstman, caregiving is an indispensable part of Medicaid. She has been confined to a wheelchair since 2013 and relies on the caregiving she receives from Karena Wegner, her partner of 25 years.”
  • “Without Medicaid, Horstman would be unable to work her day job, which would force Wegner to find work outside the home, requiring a full-time nurse for Wegner.”
  • “‘I’m scared,’ Horstman said. ‘I’m really scared that Medicaid is going to be cut and life is going to change for a lot of people. I can’t believe we’re here.’” [La Crosse Tribune]

Tina Pohlman, La Crosse, WI. 

  • “She admits to anxiety about whether she’ll continue to have access to life-saving services if Medicaid is cut. ‘I will literally end up in the street,’ Pohlman said. ‘I don’t think I can work full-time.’ She said elected officials have no idea what will happen if Medicaid services are cut. ‘It’s not just me, it’s veterans, it’s everybody,’ Pohlman said. ‘What are they going to do? Push all the nursing home people in their hospital beds out on the bridge? Are they going to set us in the marsh?’” [La Crosse Tribune]

Alex Fisher, 63.

  • “‘Medicaid has covered three wrist surgeries, a breast reduction, and my dental and optical care,’ they told Truthout. ‘I’ve been going to rallies and writing and visiting my legislators to express my outrage, but I’m scared that I might lose coverage. As I get older, I know that I’ll need more care, not less, and even when I become eligible for Medicare at age 65, I know that it won’t cover many of the services I need.’” [Truthout]
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In News

NEW ADS: Protect Our Care, Steve Bannon Warn Republicans in Congress Not to Cut Medicaid

As Part of Its “Hands Off Medicaid” Campaign, Protect Our Care Is Launching Ads Featuring Steve Bannon Cautioning Republicans: “A Lot Of MAGAs [Are] On Medicaid.”

View the Ads Here

Washington, D.C. – As Republicans are poised to pass their radical budget, Protect Our Care is launching new television and digital ads to highlight widespread opposition to the Republican plan to slash $880 billion from Medicaid. The ads, first reported in The Hill, feature Trump loyalist and MAGA cheerleader Steve Bannon, warning Republicans to be “careful” because there are “a lot of MAGAs on Medicaid.” The ads also feature outraged constituents attending town halls and urging their representatives to protect their health care. The ads target key swing districts and call on Republicans to listen to their constituents and abandon their scheme to gut Medicaid to fund tax breaks for the wealthy.

The latest ads are part of Protect Our Care’s ongoing 10-million-dollar “Hands Off Medicaid” campaign, coming immediately after a month-long ad campaign featuring a Trump-voting nursing assistant, named John, who wears his MAGA hat while warning about the damage of Medicaid cuts. Additionally, the campaign recently included Spanish-language radio ads highlighting the importance of Medicaid in Latino communities.

“Trump and Congressional Republicans are on a crusade to slash Medicaid to fund tax breaks for the wealthy,” said Protect Our Care President Brad Woodhouse. “These ads expose Republicans for turning their backs on their constituents and prioritizing tax breaks for billionaires and big companies over the health and financial well-being of everyday Americans. Republicans’ budget proposal jeopardizes the health care of millions of children, seniors in nursing homes, people with disabilities, cancer patients, veterans, and the list goes on. Americans across the country, including Democratic and Republican voters alike, are counting on Republicans to do the right thing and protect our health care.”

Poll after poll confirms Trump and Republicans’ scheme to gut Medicaid is completely out of step with the American people. Recent Navigator polling confirms Medicaid is deeply popular amongst majorities of Americans, regardless of party affiliation. Seventy percent of Republicans and 66 percent of independents view Medicaid favorably, and majorities of Americans say they know someone who receives Medicaid benefits. Better yet, 75 percent of Americans oppose cuts to Medicaid, including 53 percent of Republicans and 78 percent of independent voters. 

The ads will launch in the following districts: David Schweikert (AZ-01), David Valadao (CA-22), Young Kim (CA-40), Ken Calvert (CA-41), Nick LaLota (NY-01), Andrew Garbarino (NY-02), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07), Rob Bresnahan (PA-08), and Dan Newhouse (WA-04).

Links to each of the 30-second ads can be found below:

David Schweikert (AZ-01)
David Valadao (CA-22)
Young Kim (CA-40)
Ken Calvert (CA-41)
Nick LaLota (NY-01)
Andrew Garbarino (NY-02)
Mike Lawler (NY-17)
Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07)
Rob Bresnahan (PA-08)
Dan Newhouse (WA-04)

Sample Ad Script for AZ-01:

Fox News Host: “In the bill the Republicans are putting forward, there will be an eight-hundred-eighty billion dollar cut to Medicaid.”

Narrator: Congress wants to cut Medicaid….

 Woman at Town Hall: “I’m asking you today, please do not cut the federal Medicaid budget.”

Narrator: ….and people aren’t happy about it.

Man at Town Hall: “You don’t get to take our healthcare – get off me! You don’t get to do this to us!”

Steve Bannon:  “Medicaid you’ve got to be careful, cause a lot of MAGA’s on Medicaid. I’m telling you. If you don’t think so, you’re dead wrong.” 

Narrator: Call Congressman Schweikert and tell him to stop these cuts to Medicaid. 

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