Nearly one year ago, Donald Trump and Republicans made the largest cuts to health care in history, slashing over $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to fund tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. The results have been catastrophic for working families, seniors, children, and rural communities across the country. Nearly 15 million Americans are set to lose coverage, while more than 3.5 million have already lost life-saving coverage. Premiums and out-of-pocket costs have skyrocketed while insurance companies have pulled out of markets, reducing choices and leaving families scrambling to find affordable coverage. Rural hospitals, nursing homes, and community health centers have been pushed to the brink, with many cutting services or shutting their doors entirely. Expectant mothers are traveling farther for maternity care, seniors are losing access to long-term care, and people with disabilities are facing devastating disruptions in critical services.
States are confronting massive budget shortfalls as they attempt to fill the holes Republicans dug in the health care system, forcing painful cuts to programs and care. From Alaska to Alabama to Maine, Americans are delaying care, skipping prescriptions, falling deeper into medical debt because Republicans chose tax giveaways for the ultrawealthy over people’s health and financial security.
This June, Protect Our Care is laying out the pain hard-working families are feeling one year after Republicans’ big, ugly bill. The month features the following theme weeks:
- June 1 – 5: Caregivers Getting Crushed Under GOP Cuts
- June 8 – 12: The Health Care Affordability Crisis
- June 15 – 19: Hospitals In Crisis
- June 22 – 26: Millions Losing Coverage
By the Numbers
- Nearly one in four Americans is a caregiver, with over 80 percent caring for a family member, typically a parent or spouse.
- 7.3 million people who identify as caregivers use Medicaid for health care coverage.
- 1 in 5 caregivers report having poor or fair health and struggle to maintain their own emotional and physical wellness.
- While 61 percent of caregivers are women, caregivers come from all backgrounds.
- 61 percent identify as white
- 16 percent Latino/Hispanic
- 13 percent Black
- 6 percent Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI)
- Nearly half of caregivers live with the person they care for. 22 percent spend 21 or more hours per week providing care.
- 47 percent of caregivers are a part of the “sandwich generation” that is taking care of young children at home and their aging parents.
- 7 in 10 caregivers also have a paid job in addition to caregiving, with half experiencing negative work impacts due to balancing the two.
Republican Work Requirements Will Rip Health Care Away From Caregivers. Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill cut $1 trillion from Medicaid’s budget, ripping away health care from 10 million Americans, to bankroll tax breaks for the uber wealthy. An estimated 5 million Americans will lose coverage from a single provision in the bill: work requirements. Work requirements don’t result in more people working, just fewer people having Medicaid. 92 percent of people with Medicaid are working in a job that doesn’t provide health care, including 7.3 million people who identify as caregivers. Imposing work reporting requirements punishes them with paperwork that often leads to coverage losses, and wastes money on high administrative costs instead of health care. In practice, work requirements are known to throw thousands of people off coverage regardless of whether or not they qualify for an exemption.
Republicans’ Ripped Away Health Care Tax Credits, Raising Premium Prices for Millions of Caregivers. At the beginning of the year, Republicans ended the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health care tax credits, doubling and tripling premiums for over 20 million hardworking Americans and putting health care out of reach for millions. Families are being forced to decide between putting food on the table, keeping a roof over their head, and affording health care coverage. One in three people who buy health care on their own are reducing their coverage and paying thousands more each year in health care costs. The 63 million Americans who care for family members, friends, or neighbors will bear a disproportionate brunt of that burden.
Caregivers Are Already Vulnerable to Poor Health Outcomes — The Trump-GOP Health Care War Will Make That Problem Worse. One in five caregivers reports having poor or fair health and struggles to maintain their own emotional and physical wellness. Caregivers tend to experience higher levels of depression and face increased feelings of isolation. Over 50 percent feel as though they have no choice in being a caregiver. Caregivers can also be prone to burnout, causing them to avoid going to doctors’ appointments and delay treatment for health conditions. If burnout symptoms are left untreated, caregivers and the people they care for will experience a reduced quality of life and health decline.
Trump Is Making It Financially Impossible for Family Members to Take Care of Their Loved Ones. Medicaid’s long-term services and support (LTSS) programs play a critical role in compensating caregivers for the care they provide. 47 states and the District of Columbia have programs to provide payment to caregivers through Medicaid waivers or state plan options. These generally come in the form of hourly wages or daily stipends comparable to those of other direct care providers. These programs are commonly available to people caring for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities, seniors, and people with physical disabilities. However, Republicans passed the largest cuts to Medicaid in history, which will undoubtedly result in reductions in these programs. The implementation of these cuts will be devastating to families across the country that rely on LTSS programs to make ends meet while caring for an older or disabled family member.
Who Are the Caregivers Caught in the GOP Health Care Crisis?
In Maryland, Melissa Gonce cares for her 28-year-old son, Jason. Prior to her taking over his care, he would come home from his day program hours late dehydrated, soaked in urine, and upset. Now, thanks to Medicaid, Melissa can be his caregiver. “The program, Gonce said, ‘saved my family.’”
But since Trump and Republicans made the largest health care cuts in history, the funding that Melissa and Jason rely on has been slashed. Now, they’re anticipating a cut of $18,000 when the cost of everything from utilities to gasoline has risen.
“‘Now I’m faced with a huge decision,’ Gonce said. Will she be able to weather the cuts and keep her son at home — or be forced to send him back into a program she believes failed him?” [NBC News]
In North Carolina, Stacy Staggs cares for her daughter Emma. They rely on Medicaid for the formula that keeps Emma alive as well as a myriad of therapies, nurses, and medical supplies. Trump and Republicans’ Medicaid cuts put Emma’s care on the chopping block. Her family is “on edge” as this means life or death for Emma.
“‘We would have to take out loans, sell the house and move in with my mom,” Staggs said. “We would go into medical bankruptcy to keep Emma alive.’”
“‘If we get to a place where we’re no longer eligible, I can start a timer on how much longer Emma will be alive,’ Stacy Staggs said. ‘That’s the end of it. It’s not abstract. It’s not hyperbole. It’s the only thing that she can eat. There isn’t any substitute.’” [USA Today]
Read more stories from the caregivers grappling with Republican health care cuts here and here.