The Real Cost of Cutting Medicaid: Who Pays the Price?

Discussions around Medicaid cuts often focus on numbers—budget deficits, projected savings, and economic trade-offs. The House Budget Committee is currently evaluating $2.3 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, a move framed as fiscal responsibility.

I recognize that not everyone will share my perspective on this issue, and that's okay. But even if these cuts don't affect you personally, they could impact someone you love—your parents, child's friend, neighbor, or even your future self. Medicaid is more than a government program; it's a lifeline for millions of hardworking families, aging seniors, and children with disabilities.

Before we celebrate these "cost savings," we must ask who actually pays the price when Medicaid is cut.

Working Families Who Can't Afford Private Insurance

One of the most persistent myths is that Medicaid primarily serves people who don't work. The reality? Nearly 63% of Medicaid recipients are in working families, many juggling multiple jobs without employer-sponsored healthcare.

Take, for example, a retail worker and single mother of two. Her paycheck covers rent and food but not private insurance. Medicaid allows her children to receive check-ups, asthma medication, and emergency care when needed.

If Medicaid is cut, she faces impossible choices:

• Skipping medical visits until an emergency forces a costly ER trip.
• Losing wages when she has to take unpaid time off for a sick child.
• Falling deeper into financial instability due to medical debt.

Multiply this story by millions of families, and the ripple effect of these cuts becomes clear.

Elderly Americans Who Rely on Medicaid for Long-Term Care

Many assume that Medicare covers long-term care for seniors. It doesn't. Medicaid is the largest payer of long-term care in the U.S., covering nearly two-thirds of nursing home residents.

Consider an 82-year-old veteran whose wife cared for him at home until her own health declined. With their savings gone, Medicaid covers his nursing home care. If Medicaid funding is slashed, families like his will have to:

• Become full-time caregivers, forcing adult children to leave the workforce.
• Drain their savings, leading to financial insecurity for multiple generations.
• Go without care, increasing health risks and avoidable hospitalizations.

Cuts to Medicaid don't just affect low-income seniors, they directly impact middle-class families trying to care for aging parents.

Rural Communities Where Medicaid Keeps Hospitals Open

For many rural hospitals, Medicaid funding is the difference between keeping the doors open or shutting down. Without it, these hospitals face:

• Reduced services or complete closure due to financial instability.
• Longer travel times for care, forcing patients to drive hours for emergencies.
• Economic decline, as hospital closures eliminate healthcare jobs.

This isn't a hypothetical concern, it's already happening. Rural hospitals have closed at alarming rates in states that have resisted Medicaid expansion. When hospitals close maternity wards due to lack of funding, expectant mothers in small towns are left with no choice but to drive over an hour to give birth. This situation increases complications and maternal mortality rates.

These Medicaid cuts won't be numbers on a spreadsheet, they'll be felt in real communities, with life-or-death consequences.

Children with Special Healthcare Needs

For children with disabilities and complex medical conditions, Medicaid is not just an option—it's essential.

Imagine a 7-year-old with cerebral palsy. Medicaid provides:

• Physical therapy to help improve mobility.
• Specialized medical equipment like a wheelchair.
• Nursing support so caregivers can continue working.

Without Medicaid, families face an unbearable choice:

• Pay out of pocket, which is often financially impossible.
• Go without essential therapies, leading to developmental setbacks.
• Rely on charity care, which is unpredictable and unsustainable.

Cuts to Medicaid funding directly threaten the health and future of children with disabilities, an outcome that no responsible policymaker should accept.

The "Cost Savings" Myth: Shifting Burdens Instead of Solving Problems

Some argue that cutting Medicaid will reduce government spending, but the truth is, Medicaid cuts don't eliminate healthcare costs, they shift them elsewhere:

• More emergency room visits are needed since patients without coverage delay care.
• Higher uncompensated care costs are passed on to hospitals and taxpayers.
• Increased state-level financial strain, forcing local governments to find funding elsewhere.

Slashing Medicaid may look good in a budget proposal, but it will ultimately cost taxpayers more.

Final Thoughts: What Kind of Nation Do We Want to Be?

Not everyone reading this will agree with my stance on Medicaid, and I don't expect universal consensus. But here's the thing, this isn't just a policy debate; it's about real people, real families, and possibly even someone you love.

Maybe you've never needed Medicaid, and perhaps you never will. But what if your elderly parent suddenly requires long-term care? What if your best friend's child is diagnosed with a serious illness? What if you lose your job unexpectedly and find yourself in need of temporary support?

Budget discussions are easy when they feel abstract. It's easy to say, "We need to cut waste," until we recognize that what's being cut isn't waste; it's:

• A child's ability to get life-saving asthma medication.
• A senior's access to a nursing home after their savings run out.
• A rural hospital keeps its maternity ward open so expectant mothers don't have to drive 90 miles to deliver their babies.

So whether you agree or disagree with Medicaid as a policy, I challenge you to ask yourself this:

Would you feel the same way if these cuts were to affect someone you love?

If you feel led to let your member of Congress know that you want them to keep #HandsOffMedicaid, you can find your representative here: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Let's talk about it in the comments.

#Medicaid #HealthEquity #HealthcarePolicy #SocialDeterminantsOfHealth #ElevateAndEngage #HandsOffMedicaid