Medicaid is the United States' state healthcare program, with a userbase of 78,577,962 people (or approximately 20% of the country's population). Of that 78 million, approximately 47.5% are children. There is also medicare, primarily for seniors over the age of 65, which has approximately 68.5 people enrolled. Many people on medicaid are ALSO on medicare, which makes finding the total amount of people on state sponsored health insurance difficult to determine.
I have had many problems with this country's medical system, some of which you can read about here. That being the case, I am not on Medicaid. I am lucky enough to have a father who works a job that provides good health insurance, so while my medical costs are still extreme compared to most other countries, I personally have not had to worry about impending cuts to social services. Frankly, given my disability (Insurance companies often refuse to cover services for families or companies who have people with 'pre-existing conditions' or other complications), difficulty finding a good doctor, and inaccessiblity of transgender-related healthcare nationwide, I am VERY lucky. Very, very lucky. And when I turn 26 and have to figure out my own insurance, I can only hope that there will be a "backup plan" (Medicaid) if my employer has shitty offerings.
That being said, I know a lot of people who DO rely on Medicaid. My grandmother is on Medicaid, my friends are on Medicaid, my coworkers are on Medicaid. And frankly? It's mid. Having this health plan means that your options for doctors are limited, because plenty of doctors don't want to deal with the hassle of accepting it for one reason or another. Getting anything other than a routine exam covered can be a nightmare, as with private insurance. And every year, you have to prove that you're eligible again. You have to prove that you're poor enough, disabled enough, old enough to deserve this healthcare. It is a nightmare of bureaucratic paperwork and many people who are very disabled, old, or frankly just short on time and patience- some of the people who need this program the most- are unable to do it.
Thanks to the current fascist in charge, Medicaid is getting cut big time. Don't get it wrong, though- All parties want to gut social services. Biden alone cut an estimated 25 million people from Medicaid during his term. Health insurance companies gotta make money, and by people relying on the social services that our taxes already pay for, they're losing out on potential profit!
And, oh, what a profit it is. The United States has some of the most expensive healthcare in the world. I was made to get a sleep study done to examine the cause of my chronic fatigue- $3,000. I coughed up blood and went to the emergency room- $460. I had to get an IV and prescription painkillers in another state- $1000. I got routine bloodwork done- $120. And I have insurance. Without insurance these prices would be much, much higher; The sleep study alone was "paid for" 90% by my insurance company at the time.
Not to mention the hassle it is making sure your insurance works at all. So often, insurance denies claims that should have gone through. Hospitals miscode services and they don't get filed right. Bill costs are pulled out of nowhere and mysteriously go down if you ask for an itemized bill. (allegedly. This trick has never worked for me, but others I know swear by it.) It's a pain in the ass for me to deal with it, but what about the most vulnerable among us? Those who cannot make frequent phone calls, do math, read, scour through online portals? They are left out to dry entirely in this system.
Of course, many people on Medicaid cannot afford to pay health insurance premiums (a monthly fee, taken out of your paycheck normally, to access health insurance). That's why they're on the state service! But that doesn't matter, because politicians don't care if we die or not. Some even encourage it!
But if you don't want to die, there's always debt. Americans are often in debt! College, housing, cars, even healthcare; all things that are considered necessities have to be carefully budgeted for. But you can't plan a healthcare crisis. It is estimated that in 2021, about 1 in 12 adults in the United States owed medical debt, and if you consider 'debt' by a broader definition- that is, money owed on credit cards or to family members- that number goes as high as 41%.
So the healthcare system in the United States is horrible- this is not news! But what is pressing right at this moment is the further budget cuts that will be hitting this system- closing hospitals and killing people. Medicaid should not be cut, it should be expanded. Pennsylvania doesn't even include dental care on Medicaid! Time and time again we have seen that politicians do not care about the health and wellbeing of their constituents; it is up to us to take care of each other.
SO! What can you do to help?
I recommend joining the Nonviolent Medicaid Army, if there's a chapter in your region. They're great; together, as a group, we have a 93% success rate with appealing Medicaid cutoffs and rejections for those in our communities. We focus on building leaders and educating as many people as possible about the system we live in and what we can do about it.
If you don't live near a chapter and you're not up for starting one, you can try things on your own too. Budget cuts and greedy executives have led to something of a healthcare shortage- Nurses and other hospital staff aren't being paid enough. A lot of towns and cities have had hospital closures or buyouts. You can join a protest in your town or picket with the Nurse's Union (if either are active), and you can volunteer at the hospital to offer another pair of hands to those who need them.
Either way though, you gotta get into your community. Yes, even if they mostly suck. I live in a very conservative area, I get it. But healthcare is a human right, and assholes are still human. Even the man who yells slurs at me on the street doesn't deserve to slowly die of a treatable infection. It's not like him dying will cure the hurt he caused me, or like his infection will somehow make him realize that gay people are chill. Dehumanization is the cornerstone of fascism; even the worst person you know is human, and all humans deserve healthcare. If you dehumanize those in your community who say or do things that are genuinely reprehensible, you are capable of moving that window to dehumanize others as well.
Talk to and volunteer with the homeless, share your healthcare stories with strangers, ask about theirs and really take the time to listen to what they have to say. It's scary, and it's hard, but so many people just want to be heard and know that they're not the only ones. We all need healthcare, after all. You don't have to be buddies with all of your neighbors; just check on them every now and then.
Getting to know people will help with the dehumanization and isolation that social media and the news push onto us. Getting to know people will let you know when somebody you know is struggling and can be helped. Getting to know people will ensure that when you are having the worst day of your life, there is at least somebody around who sees you as a human and can sympathize.
Offer to drive elderly and/or disabled neighbors to their doctor's appointments. Offer them support using the online health portals, or understanding a bill. Make sure you, and everyone around you, know your rights surrounding medical care and bills. Take care of yourself and your loved ones.
Be safe, do your best, and just know that there are people fighting this bullshit. A lot of people work very, very hard to make sure that we can all get the care that we need. All hope is not lost just because we are living in a fascist oligarchy. We just can't rely on politicians to give us that hope; we have to take it for ourselves.
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