Medicaid Diaries
From children and adults with disabilities to small business owners and essential workers, Medicaid ensures access to lifesaving care. If proposed cuts move forward, the impact will be felt across the nation—leading to increased medical debt, hospital closures, and economic strain.
Medicaid Is a Lifeline
CHC: Creating Healthier Communities is deeply concerned about proposed Medicaid cuts that could jeopardize the health of millions and destabilize the healthcare system as a whole. Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering drastic reductions to Medicaid—cuts that would strip lifesaving care from some of the most vulnerable Americans.
These cuts don’t just impact individuals—they threaten entire health networks, local economies, and public health. CHC stands firmly against these proposals and urges action to protect this vital lifeline. If Medicaid were to be significantly reduced or dismantled, individuals and whole industries would be affected, including CHC’s nonprofit, community and business partners.
For this reason, CHC has launched our Medicaid Diaries series to raise awareness for this urgent matter. The full story of Medicaid’s impact on the lives of Americans is vast—these stories capture a fraction of this lifeline. For more information, we urge you to stay connected to all CHC news and updates.
Healthier Communities
"A community without strong Medicaid support leaves the most vulnerable -- children, adults with disabilities and those with chronic illnesses -- without the care they need to survive. This isn't just a policy issue; it's a matter of life and death. Medicaid is not a safety net -- it's a lifeline."
Healthy Savannah
"In a statement to the Medical Committee for Human Rights in 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.'
It is now almost 60 years later, and we still lack equitable health care coverage for all people. The failure to ensure that Medicaid coverage is available to individuals and families that cannot afford or have access to other forms of healthcare is inhumane. We must ensure that are voices are heard by policymakers to make certain that every person has access to proper health care coverage."
"Medicaid provides critical funding for school-based health services, including nursing care, mental health support, and therapies like speech and occupational therapy. Cuts to Medicaid would mean fewer resources for these essential services, leading to increased absenteeism and poorer health outcomes for our students. These cuts would not only strip healthcare from millions of vulnerable children but also destabilize the healthcare system, local economies, and public health initiatives. Our students' health and educational success are at stake, and it's crucial that we advocate for the preservation of this vital program."
Healthy Savannah
"Medicaid expansion will help our most vulnerable populations, i.e. low income children and adults, people living with mental and/or physical disabilities, have access to healthcare reducing health disparities and increasing health outcomes."
mdlogix
"With the focus of my team and I on k12 student mental health, we are deeply aware of the importance and return on investment with use of Medicaid funds by state and local education departments to work with their communities to improve prevention, early intervention, and treatment of mental and behavioral health risk factors and disorders. Money spent to identify kids at risk before they reach a crisis stage, and intervene earlier, generates major benefits for everyone, including reducing future financial costs. Preventing one teenager from being sent to an emergency department for suicidality saves an average of $5,200."
The Susan Jolley Foundation
"Susan’s story exemplifies why Medicaid expansion is essential—it’s more than just a policy debate; it’s a matter of life and death. Far too many individuals, especially women, are deprived of critical screenings and treatment due to gaps in coverage. Had Georgia expanded Medicaid, Susan could have received the preventive care, early screenings, and timely treatment that might have saved her life."
