Medicaid cuts will break a health care system already stretched to the edge

Right now in Washington, House Republicans are pushing a budget that would gut Medicaid, slash food assistance by up to 25%, and eliminate all federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

If this budget clears the Senate, millions of people will lose their health coverage. Rural hospitals and clinics that rely on Medicaid reimbursements will shut down. And when those patients have nowhere else to go, they’ll end up in our emergency rooms — emergency rooms that are already stretched to their limits.

Shortly after I'd had a transient ischemic attack — often called a ministroke — I waited more than three hours in the University of Iowa ER, experiencing stroke symptoms while on stroke precautions, with only a preliminary neuro check. When I was finally seen by a doctor, I learned that both of my carotid arteries were torn. I was lucky. But how much worse do we want things to get?

I know countless others with similar experiences. And if this federal budget passes, the crisis will deepen. Because when people lose coverage, they don’t stop needing care — they just lose access to preventive care and wind up in the ER when things become serious.

This is a disaster in the making — not just for individuals, but for our entire health care system. Can you imagine having another pandemic in a world where millions more Americans don't have access to vaccines, tests, or treatments?

At the same time, Republicans are pushing for more tax breaks for billionaires. They're choosing giveaways for the wealthiest over health care for the rest of us.

Before this bill even reached the House Budget Committee, it went through the Energy and Commerce Committee — where an amendment was introduced to protect Planned Parenthood's funding. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks was there. She was present for the hearing — until it came time to vote on that amendment. Then, she simply disappeared.

She didn’t vote yes. She didn’t vote no. She just vanished — which may mean she's wavering- because she knows how important access to health care, particularly reproductive care, is for Iowans. Our state already ranks dead last in the nation for OBGYNs per capita. We cannot afford to lose any more providers or clinics. And yet, this budget would also defund Planned Parenthood.

The bill was narrowly approved by the House floor May 22. This is moving fast and we cannot afford to stay quiet. We all need to let our representatives know we value our public health system and pressure them to vote NO on any budget that defunds Planned Parenthood or cuts Medicaid or SNAP. If you've been personally impacted by these programs at any point in your life, share your story.

I had my first child at 20. As a young mother, I put in long days working, attending school, and raising my kids. SNAP helped keep food on our table. Medicaid ensured my children had access to the therapies they needed. Once I had employer-sponsored insurance, it covered the gap when co-pays were still too much. And sometimes I went to Planned Parenthood for birth control, routine screenings, and compassionate, timely care I couldn’t access elsewhere. These services helped me survive, stay healthy, and build a future. They are why I’m able to serve the public today. That's the kind of stability, opportunity, and lifeline these programs provide.

So, let's let our representatives know we need them to vote no on this budget. Because real leadership means showing up and doing the right thing. Our communities deserve nothing less.

Mandi Remington is a former UIHC employee of 18 years and a current Johnson County Supervisor who shares constituents with Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks.