Archives: Voices

How Medicaid caps would impact seniors

Editor’s note: This piece was written by Joe Caldwell, PhD, the Director of Long-Term Services and Supports Policy at National Council on Aging. It was originally published on NCOA’s blog on June 19.  The health care debate is full of buzzwords and technical jargon that can make it hard to understand…

The Next Two Weeks in the Senate are Crucial

Editor’s note: This piece was written by Jane Sheehan, Government Affairs Associate at Families USA, and was originally posted on Families USA’s blog on Thursday, June 15. Today, Tuesday, June 20 is a national call-in day to urge senators to reject their super-secret bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act…

The Secret Senate and the Threat to Medicaid

Did you think that the House-passed health care repeal bill was going nowhere in the Senate? Think again. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX) was of the opinion in late May that “80 percent of what the House did we’re likely to do.” But the Senate leadership absolutely does not want you…

Resources from around the coalition: The health care edition

Editor’s note: The following blog post is authored by CHN intern Raquel Douglas. 3 million children without insurance. Medicaid cut by almost 50 percent. $1.2 billion in cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 23 million people at risk of losing access to affordable health care coverage. Systematic…

‘This is our problem. This is our plague.’

When it comes to describing her state’s opioid crisis, Dr. Cathleen London of Milbridge, Maine does not mince words. “It’s an epidemic because it’s now killing more people than HIV. And more people than the Vietnam War,” she says. “This is an epidemic on par with the plague.” Dr. London’s…

Budget brings an avalanche of pain

You may remember Tianna Gaines-Turner from previous blog posts. Last year, we reported on a new documentary making the rounds at Sundance and other venues throughout the country. A Hug from Paul Ryan followed the story of Tianna who, despite working two jobs just like her husband, struggles with poverty in their hometown…

The People’s Budget: A Roadmap for the Resistance

This week, members of Congress heard from more than 120,000 Americans who favor an alternative to the slash-cut-and-burn budget proposal put forth by President Trump and favored by some in Congress. That’s the number of people who signed a petition backing The People’s Budget: A Roadmap for the Resistance. The…

There’s no painless way to end the Medicaid expansion

Editor’s note: The piece was written by Dee Mahan, Director of Medicaid Initiatives at Families USA, and was originally published on Families USA’s blog on June 1.  As the Senate develops its version of the House’s American Health Care Act (AHCA) it should bear this in mind: There is no “glide…

It’s called ‘having a country’

Last week, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney testified before the Senate Budget Committee about President Trump’s FY18 budget proposal. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) asked Director Mulvaney why the budget eliminates funding to protect the Great Lakes and other water conservation efforts. “On behalf of Michigan families,” she…