Medicaid, Medicare Cuts Hurt All, by Pam Fricke

By Pam Fricke

We were promised the Trump Administration would not cut Medicare or Medicaid benefits.  President Trump himself said it over and over and over again.

Well, folks, brace yourself for more broken promises. You will see big changes that will hit home here in St. Croix County.

All Wisconsin Republican members of Congress, including our very own Tom Tiffany, voted to approve the changes in the big ugly bill which will cause tens of thousands of Wisconsinites to see cuts to supplemental nutrition assistance (SNAP, or food stamps), Medicaid, Medicare and Veterans Assistance.

Let’s look at how these changes will affect us in St. Croix County, which now has a population of about 100,000.

Cuts to SNAP will hurt more than 5 percent of St. Croix County households or 2,085 households (according to the Food Research and Action Center).  These cuts will also hurt our county’s economy, since each $1 of SNAP benefits generates $1.50 of economic activity  (Wisconsin Department of Health Services).

Cuts to Medicaid will hurt about 14 percent of the population or 14,224 (Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy, Center for Children and Families, Medicaid Coverage in Wisconsin Counties, 2023).

Cuts to Medicare will hurt about 19 percent or 18,600 (data.cms.gov).

In addition, cuts to Medicaid and Medicare will hurt the county’s community partners and economy.  In 2023, people living here received $107.7 million in medical care benefits to support our community health services (St. Croix County Health & Human Services 2023 Annual Report).

Cuts to VA Services will hurt all of our veterans or 4,451.  (Census Reporter).

This is only the beginning.  Write Rep. Tiffany at https://tiffany.house.gov/contact/email-me or call his Wausau office (715) 298-9344. Grab your sign protesting these cuts and show up Mondays 4 to 6 p.m. at Second and Vine in Hudson.

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