“Medicaid and Child Health Plus aren’t just “welfare programs”
A OPINION by Elizabeth Penman, Elmira NY
When politicians in Washington talk about cutting Medicaid and Child Health Plus, it’s easy to think it won’t affect you—especially if you don’t use those programs yourself. But here in our rural district, these cuts would have real consequences for all of us, no matter how we get our health care.
Here’s why you should care:
🔹 If you or your children are on Medicaid or Child Health Plus:
• You or your children could lose coverage altogether.
• Cuts could mean fewer doctors accepting your plan, longer wait times, or having to drive hours to find care.
• Rural hospitals and clinics depend on these programs to stay open—without funding, some may shut down.
🔹 If you get health insurance through the Marketplace (like NY State of Health):
• Cuts to Medicaid are often tied to reduced subsidies for Marketplace plans.
• Premiums would go up—by nearly $2,000 more per year for the average person in our district.
• A 60-year-old couple could pay over $9,700 more per year—a 134% increase—just to keep the same plan.
🔹 If you have private insurance through your job:
• Rural hospitals rely on Medicaid and Child Health Plus funding—if they close, your access to care suffers too.
• When more people lose coverage, hospitals shift the cost to people with private insurance, raising your premiums.
• Cuts mean fewer services for everyone—like maternity care, mental health support, and emergency care—because those are often funded by Medicaid reimbursements.
Medicaid and Child Health Plus aren’t just “welfare programs.” They are the backbone of rural health care—covering 185,772 people in our district. That’s about 24% of the population, or roughly 1 in 4 residents—including children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and working families.
We all have a stake in protecting them! Call your Members of Congress now. Tell them gutting programs that help working families isn’t a necessity — it’s a choice to put billionaires first.
