This summer, Congressmen John James and Tom Barrett voted for the Republican Tax Law. The new law's cuts to Medicaid will force hundreds of thousands of Michiganders to lose their health coverage or pay much higher premiums they simply cannot afford. Rep. John James and Rep. Tom Barrett both supported these cuts to working families' healthcare to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy.
"Medicaid has been my lifeline for managing my health and getting my prescriptions filled on time," said Rebecca Zainos, a Warren resident who receives Medicaid coverage. "Working families like mine across Michigan are facing a healthcare crisis.
If I lose this coverage, I can’t imagine how I’ll make due. I know I’m not alone in this. Now is the time for Congress to take action, and we call on Congressman John James to ensure hundreds of thousands of people aren’t at risk of losing everything."
Families on fixed incomes who lose Medicaid will face skyrocketing insurance premiums that can easily cost $800 to $1,200 per month. For a family earning $35,000 a year, that's nearly half their entire income just for health insurance. Parents will have to choose between filling prescriptions for their children or paying rent.
Cynthia Burton, a Lansing resident whose husband Keith relies on Medicaid for his care, worries about the future. "My family depends on Medicaid for medications and doctor appointments, and budgets keep getting tighter," Burton said. “ For working families already stretched thin by rising costs, losing Medicaid coverage means having to make impossible choices. People will keep falling through the cracks if something isn’t done to fix the system. I urge Congressman Barrett to reverse course on these Medicaid cuts and to make health care tax credits permanent, while there’s still a chance to save many lives.”
Currently, more than 2.6 million Michiganders, including 961,000 children, rely on Medicaid for their health care coverage. According to the Center for American Progress, the Republican Tax Law will increase the number of uninsured Americans in every state and every single congressional district, with Michigan facing significant coverage losses across the state.
