Medicaid Town Hall

On March 4th, many of us had a powerful lobby day at the Capitol. We spent the day talking with our legislators about issues that matter most. Even though we disagree on many fronts, we did say thank you for the Medicaid postpartum care. Thank you for going against your party on this.  We need more citizens to stand up and speak out. We are thankful for Citizen Action to make this possible.

It’s important to note that Medicaid has not yet been cut. The fight continues and it’s time for all of us to get involved. The budget resolution directs the budget outlines for various finance committees, which now will deliberate about how to proceed. The Energy & Commerce committee, which oversees Medicaid, was tasked with an $880 billion cut over the next ten years—approximately 10% of Medicaid’s cost over that time. It is expected that these cuts will come from the program.

 

Make no mistake: these budget cuts will cost lives. One million Wisconsinites depend on Medicaid (or BadgerCare, its largest program). One in three births in our state and one in three children are covered by the program. One in three people with disabilities and over half of people in nursing homes use it for long-term care. Without Medicaid, people will lose their coverage, lose their homes, and some people will die.

 

However, there’s room for action. This was a very close vote, and there are months of deliberations ahead. Tensions between ultra-right-wing Republicans who want to slash all government spending and moderates who understand the serious consequences of cutting Medicaid in their districts will need to be managed. Meanwhile, our Democratic representatives need to understand clearly that there is no room for compromise on this issue. Citizen Action of Wisconsin, in collaboration with coalitions across the state, has a plan for jumping into the fight. We need your help.

 

This is a hands-on fight, not one we can wage solely behind our computer screens. Citizen Action is planning a series of town halls across Wisconsin in March to talk about our plan. We’ll meet, learn about Medicaid and the proposals, hear from local elected officials, listen to people directly affected by the cuts, and answer any questions you have. Then we’ll tell you how we’re getting involved in your local community and how you can join thousands of Wisconsinites at home and across the state.

Here are the events so far: