A march and rally to push back against proposed Medicaid and Medicare cuts took place on Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
The “Save Our Healthcare” rally speakers included former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Chris Murphy, Sen. Jeff Merkley, Sen. Ron Wyden, Rep. Pramila Jayapal and Planned Parenthood President Alexis McGill.
A sit-in protest also took place in the Senate Hart building where storytellers shared their healthcare experiences while getting arrested. The goal of participants was to demand Congress ensure that millions of people can continue to access healthcare coverage.
There were also banner drops in the Hart building that read “Save Medicaid,” “Save Our Healthcare” and “Save the Affordable Care Act.”
More than 20 healthcare and advocacy organizations organized the protest. In addition to proposed Medicaid and Medicare cuts, there was also a call for lower prescription drug prices and the protection of reproductive rights.
Organizers of the sit-in and rally said that efforts to impose work requirements for Medicaid access are thinly veiled attempts to undermine the program while redirecting public funds toward tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy.
Trump and several states attempted to set work requirements in 2018 until a federal judge ruled that Medicaid law does not allow it.
Critics say most enrollees already go to school, work or serve as caregivers and the requirement would only add red tape to obtaining coverage.
The Republican House budget resolution directs the House Energy and Commerce Committee to cut at least $880 billion in costs.
The Congressional Budget Office said Medicaid accounts for 93 percent of total spending under the committee. To comply with the resolution, it is anticipated there will be cuts to Medicaid.
Nearly 80 million people are covered by Medicaid or CHIP. States rely on federal matching funds to fund their state Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP.
An analysis by American Progress said the cuts would result in a $2 billion loss in federal funding in each congressional district which could eliminate coverage for nearly 16 million people.
While MAGA Republicans have been led to believe that Latinos will take the hardest hit with Medicaid cuts, the truth lies elsewhere; 43 percent of those enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP are white, according to a report by NBC News.
Immigrants lacking legal status are not eligible for federal Medicaid benefits. However, some states have used their own funds to expand coverage to adults and children regardless of immigration status.
President Donald Trump has said cuts will be made to eliminate “waste, fraud and abuse.”
The White House released a statement due to public backlash saying fraud within entitlement programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, cost taxpayers $521 billion annually. The White House said that the cuts will come from improper payments including deceased individuals who are allegedly receiving benefits.
Jonathan Oberlander, a health policy professor at the University of North Carolina, told NPR that the cuts would allow Republicans to strike a blow against the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare.
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Crystal Graham
