Did you know that tomorrow, Thursday, February 6, is a national day of action—and we need your help?
If you’ve been following the news, you may have seen that the current administration is proposing massive cuts to Medicaid—totaling a staggering $2.5 trillion. You might be thinking, Well, I’m not on Medicaid, so this doesn’t affect me. But for the nearly 80 million Americans who rely on Medicaid for healthcare, every cut has devastating consequences.
If you’ve followed my journey, you may remember that I relied on Medicaid to help cover my grandmother’s long-term care. Would I have preferred to continue paying privately? Absolutely. But long-term care in this country is so prohibitively expensive that only the ultra-wealthy can afford it. And now, the very people who need support the most are at risk of losing it.
While I try to avoid politics on my blog, healthcare, cancer research, and elder care are topics I can’t ignore. Medicaid is more than just a healthcare program for low-income families. It provides long-term care for seniors, coverage for children, and support for people with disabilities. It is the backbone of our caregiving system.
Consider this:
- 7.8 million older adults and disabled people rely on Medicaid for in-home and community-based care.
- Medicaid helps disabled individuals find and maintain employment through job coaching and support services.
- Family caregivers receive crucial support, including respite care, mental health services, and even financial assistance for the care they provide.
What can you do?
The ask is simple: Protect Medicaid. Whether you’ve personally benefited from Medicaid or know someone who has, your voice matters. Here’s how you can help:
- Post on social media—use your platform to raise awareness.
- Share your story with elected officials—real-life experiences are powerful.
- Get involved with organizations fighting to protect Medicaid—groups like Caring Across Generations offer toolkits to help you take action.
Everyone in this country will either need care or be a caregiver at some point. When programs like Medicaid are on the chopping block, millions of lives are put in jeopardy. As a former caregiver, I don’t know what I would have done without Medicaid. I left my full-time job and spent every night in a nursing home, and while I was never paid for the care I provided, Medicaid covered my grandmother’s expenses (otherwise, I would be bankrupt right now). It wasn’t an ideal situation, but it was the lifeline we needed.
It breaks my heart to see Medicaid under attack, but I know the power of community. Alone, we may feel helpless, but together, we can make a difference.
Thank you for being here and for taking action.
*All stats referenced via Caring Across Generations Protect Medicaid 2025 Toolkit
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