Rep. Mike Levin, Health Leaders & Patients Expose Devastating Medicaid Cuts That Threaten Access to Health Care
Rep. Levin, health leaders & patients discuss impacts of devastating Medicaid cuts
View full press conference here
Vista, CA — On the eve of the 60th anniversary of Medicaid becoming law, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49), health leaders, and patients condemned deep Medicaid and health care cuts enacted under the Republican budget law that threaten access to health care services for millions of Americans. The Republican budget will harm seniors, low-income families, and California’s health care system.
President Trump signed into law the Republican budget, also called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, on July 4th. The law makes the largest cuts to Medicaid in the program’s history and puts hospitals, emergency care, and Medicaid coverage at risk for nearly 15 million people, including two million people in California. The state expects billions in projected revenue losses?for health care providers, which is expected to reduce access to care.
“Medicaid has given millions of Americans access to care for six decades, but today, that promise is being broken,” said Rep. Levin. “This reckless law is a disaster for public health that will force millions of people off their insurance, raise premiums, and shut down hospitals and clinics. These cuts aren’t just numbers on a page, they’re real people who will lose access to life saving care and we can’t allow that to happen.”
The Republican budget law will:
- Cut $1 trillion to Medicaid;
- Kick 15 million Americans off their health care coverage;
- Defund Planned Parenthood and impact over 1 million women;
- Increase premiums and copays for families nationwide;
- Impose paperwork requirements that could lock people out of coverage;
- Cut billions from hospital and clinics.
“This law rips health care away from families so billionaires can get tax breaks. We won’t stand for it, and I will continue fighting to protect Medicaid to ensure every American gets the care they deserve,” said Rep. Levin.
Local health professionals on the ground described how the law puts critical services and patients at serious risk.
“At Gary and Mary West PACE, over 90% of the older adults we serve rely on Medicaid to access critical services that keep them health and independent in their homes,” said West PACE Community Engagement Director, Mary Jurgensen. “Across California, PACE programs serve nearly 22,000 seniors annually, each one counting on coordinated care, meals, therapy, and transportation that Medicaid funds support. The proposed Medicaid cuts in HR 1 threaten our ability to deliver these essential services and will place people at risk of losing access to life-sustaining care.”
Health leaders noted that in California, premiums are expected to soar. For those insured under Covered California, insurers are already seeking rate increases over 20%. Data from the House Budget Committee shows that more than 2 million people across California could lose health insurance, including children and seniors.
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