61 Years of Medicaid: Pregnant Patients and Rural Communities Suffer from Sweeping Health Care Cuts Under Trump and Republican Lawmakers
Labor and delivery units are closing their doors leaving families vulnerable
WASHINGTON, DC –– Today marks the 61st anniversary of Medicaid being signed into law. The program is a lifeline for pregnant patients, working families, and rural communities across the country who need comprehensive health care — including reproductive care. Despite Medicaid’s critical role in making health care accessible to millions of Americans, the Trump administration gutted funding for the program. As a result, rural hospitals are shutting down at record rates and labor and delivery units are closing their doors, putting women and families at greater risk in communities already facing severe health care disparities.
Not only have Republicans weakened our health care system, and cut vital programs like Medicaid, but Republicans in Congress are passing policies that drive up costs for everyday Americans. Notably, polling shows that Americans in the battleground overwhelmingly oppose cuts to Medicaid and nearly 70% of Americans in the battleground support access to Medicaid.
More than 74 million Americans rely on Medicaid for health care, including essential reproductive health services like birth control, wellness exams, STI tests and treatment, breast and cervical cancer screenings, and more. The program provides coverage for nearly 1 in 4 rural residents, including 23.3% of women of childbearing age living in rural areas. Medicaid covers nearly half of all rural births and provides essential financial stability to the hospitals and clinics that rural areas rely on to access care.
To mark the anniversary of Medicaid and spotlight dangers of nationwide health care cuts, Veronica Ingham, Managing Director for Free & Just released the following statement:
“Republican Medicaid cuts are forcing hospitals to close their doors, leaving Americans across the country vulnerable and without access to the care they need. Let’s be clear, forcing pregnant patients to jump through hurdles and travel hours for essential care is dangerous and deadly. Republican lawmakers are fueling a health care crisis, and families across the country will continue to suffer the consequences.”
Bottomline: Cuts to Medicaid have already resulted in hospital closures and reduced access to all types of care, proving catastrophic—especially for people living in rural communities. Further attacks on health care access and affordability will only lead to even more dangerous outcomes for patients seeking reproductive care nationwide.
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If you are interested in speaking with patients, physicians, or advocates about their experience with Medicaid or accessing reproductive care, please contact malachi@freeandjust.us. See bios below: