Vox Pop - Says Wisconsin deserves better than federal budget
The budget signed by President Trump enacts sweeping Medicaid changes that will end health coverage for tens of thousands of Wisconsinites. One in four residents—seniors, children, workers, people with disabilities—rely on Medicaid, yet this bill slashes support, adds red tape, and imposes harmful restrictions. Wisconsin could lose up to $16.8 billion in federal funds over the next decade. The budget rolls back incentives for Medicaid expansion, limits retroactive coverage, and ends support for lawful immigrants during their mandatory five-year waiting period.
It imposes unnecessary work requirements, risking coverage for over 52,000 adults while costing taxpayers millions in administrative expenses. It also adds frequent, intrusive checks that will push people off coverage.
Most concerning are targeted restrictions on care: bans on gender-affirming services, limits on access to reproductive health providers like Planned Parenthood, and refusal to implement minimum staffing standards in nursing homes.
This isn’t about fiscal responsibility. It’s a policy assault on working families, vulnerable communities, and public health. Wisconsin needs investment, not abandonment.
Derrick Van Orden and Tom Tiffany should have voted to defend Medicaid’s critical role in our state. They did not.
A budget is only an outline for action. If we speak up now, we can protect the care 12 million Americans rely on. Tell Van Orden, Tiffany, and your local representatives to defend Medicaid and invest in Wisconsin’s health—not to abandon it.
— Dr. Mary Landwehr, Chippewa Falls
