New Yorkers across the state describe how sweeping federal cuts to Medicaid and food assistance could derail their lives
By Jie Jenny Zou, NYFocus.com
Congressional Republicans have been working overtime to deliver on the Trump Administration’s promise to lower taxes for corporations and America’s wealthiest. To fund those tax breaks, they have targeted the largest and oldest safety net programs serving America’s poorest, calling for cuts of nearly $1 trillion to Medicaid and over $200 billion to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“These are going to be the largest cuts to these programs in their history,” said Nick Gwyn, senior fellow for legislative affairs at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning think tank. “They will be much harder to navigate — both for the individuals for whom these programs are designed to help — and for the states.”
An estimated 1.5 million New Yorkers could lose their Medicaid coverage and become uninsured, according to a May analysis by the state Health Department. Over one million New Yorkers, including children, could see their SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated, according to a Fiscal Policy Institute estimate last month.
Focus spoke to New Yorkers across the state to learn more about how these cuts could affect them.
Related: Congress Finally Released its Plan to Slash Medicaid and Food Aid. What’s Next for New York?
