OPINION: For my family, looming health care cuts are an emergency

The government shutdown has caused enormous stress for moms like me across Virginia, as we’ve wondered how we’ll put food on the table and get health care for our families.

As a single mom of three, I am stunned that Republicans in Congress are refusing to fund the health care programs families rely on. We are counting on every elected leader to stand up for families, protect WIC and SNAP, make health care affordable for all, and get to work solving the care crisis that is plaguing our communities. 

These issues are deeply personal for me. Like so many other moms, I was pushed out of the workforce due to the child care crisis for several years. I took a job at a local nonprofit because I had to provide for my kids, but without child care assistance, I could barely keep up. I applied but waited months for relief. When I finally got approved, it helped—but not enough. Even with the assistance, I still pay $600 for only two weeks of child care each month. It’s a constant balancing act for my family to stay afloat. 

As the cost of food and other essentials has soared, it’s been harder and harder to make ends meet. WIC and SNAP are essential and help me provide a balanced, healthy diet for my children. With three growing boys, the nutritious options that WIC and SNAP support are a blessing. I’m thankful that I can choose from a variety of dairy, fruits and vegetables that I’d normally say ‘no’ to, because our budget is so tight. 

But right now, these critical programs are in danger. Republicans in Congress voted to slash nearly $200 billion from SNAP. SNAP and WIC are essential, and our elected leaders should be working to strengthen them, not ripping away support as families face skyrocketing costs.  

My family also relies on Medicaid for our health care. It’s no exaggeration to say it’s a lifeline for my children and me. After my youngest son was born two years ago, Medicaid was the reason I was able to access physical therapy for birth complications and counseling. Without Medicaid, I would have gone without care, like I’ve done in the past when I really needed it. 

Medicaid dental coverage for my boys is also a huge help. I could never afford to pay for their dental care out of pocket. They would just go without it. A lot of families do go without dental care, because when you’re choosing between putting food on the table and going to the dentist, most families are going to choose food. But dental care is essential to our children’s health.

Even with Medicaid, accessing health care is an enormous – sometimes insurmountable – challenge. Because so many health care providers in my area don’t accept it, finding care is a struggle. For instance, the clinic I used to rely on no longer accepts Medicaid. I need eyeglasses but I can’t find an eye doctor who accepts Medicaid.

I worry that the deep cuts to Medicaid that Congress passed will make these problems even worse. Lawmakers should be looking for ways to improve our care, not cutting the programs that help us build good lives.

So many hardworking families like mine are barely scraping by. We are terrified about what the cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits will mean for us, and we are desperate for solutions to our country’s child and elder care crises.

At my job, I see every day how this issue affects people from all walks of life — not just one group, but everyone. My peers, coworkers, and the people we serve are all struggling. We work hard and serve our communities, yet the government isn’t holding up its end of the bargain. So many working-class families can relate, but how many elected leaders have ever worried about putting food on the table or paying for their children’s care? That’s a reality too many of us know too well.

For my family, the looming health care cuts are an emergency, and I’m extremely disappointed that the latest budget deal doesn’t address the health care crisis families are facing. I don’t understand why Republicans and so many private donors are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a ballroom while the health care my sons and I – and so many others – rely on is on the chopping block. Families like mine want Congress to reverse the reckless, damaging cuts to Medicaid and extend the premium tax credits that make health insurance affordable for tens of millions of us. We’re counting on Republicans in Congress to put the needs of working families above the interests of the wealthy.