When it comes to health care in America, few programs matter more than Medicaid. It’s the silent lifeline supporting over 85 million low-income families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities. But now, it’s under threat. Proposed federal budget cuts totaling a staggering $800 billion could gut this essential program—and the ripple effects would be devastating.
So what happens if we go down this road? Fewer doctors’ visits? Definitely. More emergency room chaos? Likely. Higher costs for everyone? Almost certainly. But beyond the spreadsheets and soundbites, this isn’t just a financial decision—it’s a moral one. Here’s what’s really at stake.
Health at Risk: The Human Cost of Budget Cuts
Medicaid isn’t some obscure bureaucratic line item. It’s the program making sure a diabetic grandmother in Georgia gets her insulin, or that a child in Chicago sees a pediatrician before asthma becomes an emergency.
Cutting billions from Medicaid would force millions to make impossible choices: skip care or go into debt. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicaid currently covers 85 million Americans, including a large share of children, seniors, and people with disabilities. That coverage includes preventive care, checkups, hospital visits—services that keep people healthy and out of crisis.
And the proof is in the data. States that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act saw measurable improvements in public health, like fewer preventable hospital visits and better chronic disease management. States that refused expansion? Not so lucky.
It’s the Economy, Too
Think of Medicaid as more than just health insurance—it’s also an economic engine. Health care workers, home health aides, nursing assistants, hospital staff—millions of their jobs depend on Medicaid funding. A study by the Center for American Progress found that Medicaid supports around 4 million jobs nationwide. Take away funding, and you’re not just cutting benefits—you’re cutting paychecks.
And when people lose coverage, they often delay care until their conditions get worse—and more expensive. That translates to higher ER bills, more disability claims, and greater strain on other public programs. As economist Maria Garcia notes, the downstream costs of untreated illness often outweigh the price of preventive care.
Hitting the Vulnerable the Hardest
Let’s be clear: these cuts wouldn’t hit everyone equally. They would disproportionately harm the most vulnerable among us—children, the elderly, and marginalized communities.
More than 30 million children rely on Medicaid for things like vaccines, checkups, and developmental screenings. It’s how kids stay in school and out of the hospital. For seniors, Medicaid fills in the gaps Medicare doesn’t cover, especially when it comes to long-term care and nursing homes. In fact, over half of all nursing home residents are on Medicaid.
Imagine slashing funding and then telling families there’s no room in the facility for their aging parent—or that their child’s therapy sessions are no longer covered. That’s not fiscal responsibility; it’s neglect.
A Test of National Character
There’s another layer to this conversation: what cutting Medicaid says about who we are as a country.
In poll after poll, including one from Gallup, Americans overwhelmingly support expanding Medicaid, not shrinking it. Health care isn’t just a political issue—it’s a deeply personal one, tied to our sense of fairness, compassion, and basic human decency.
When the government pulls back from health care, especially for those who need it most, it sends a chilling message: you’re on your own. That kind of abandonment can erode public trust and fuel resentment in a system already strained by inequality.
Can We Afford Not To?
Supporters of the cuts often cite the need for fiscal responsibility. But the question isn’t just can we afford Medicaid?—it’s can we afford the consequences of slashing it?
The long-term damage—poorer health, higher costs, lost jobs, moral decay—far outweighs the short-term savings. If policymakers are serious about budgeting wisely, there are smarter ways to trim fat without slicing into the backbone of American health care.
The Bottom Line
Cutting $800 billion from Medicaid would be more than just a policy shift. It would be a step backward—away from health equity, economic stability, and our shared duty to care for one another.
In a nation as wealthy and resourceful as the United States, basic health care shouldn’t be a luxury. Medicaid represents our collective commitment to that belief. Let’s not walk away from it now.
Stanley Johnson is a contributing editor for Brotha Magazine.
