On Medicaid's 61st Anniversary, Fairness for Iowa Launches Petition to Protect Health Care
As Iowa Republicans continue defending Medicaid cuts, advocates call on Iowans to speak out before more families lose coverage.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Today, on the 61st anniversary of Medicaid becoming law, Fairness for Iowa is launching a statewide petition urging Iowans to stand up for the health care program that millions of Americans, including nearly 600,000 Iowans, depend on.
The petition comes as Representatives Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks continue defending the Republican Tax Law that made the largest cuts to Medicaid in history. Those cuts are already straining Iowa's health care system, and new federal Medicaid rules backed by Republicans could soon put even more Iowans with serious illnesses at risk of losing their coverage.
"For 61 years, Medicaid has meant peace of mind for families facing life's toughest moments," said Mazie Stilwell, Executive Director of Progress Iowa. "But instead of protecting that promise, Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks voted to rip health care away from the very people Medicaid was created to serve, to pay for tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. On Medicaid's anniversary, we're asking Iowans to send a clear message: hands off our health care."
Since passage of the Republican Tax Law, hospitals and clinics across Iowa have already announced closures, eliminated services, or reduced access to care as health systems brace for billions in lost Medicaid funding over the next decade. At the same time, newly announced federal Medicaid rules would make it harder for many Iowans with serious illnesses, including cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, and other chronic conditions, to keep the coverage they rely on for life-saving treatment.
Fairness for Iowa's petition calls on Congress to reverse course and protect Medicaid for children, seniors, people with disabilities, working families, and rural communities.
For 61 years, Medicaid has helped millions of Americans get the health care they need, from children and seniors to people with disabilities, working families, and rural communities.
Now, devastating cuts made by our Republican members of Congress, including Reps. Zach Nunn, Ashley Hinson, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, threaten that promise.
Add your name today to tell Congress to stop the cuts and protect the health care that millions of Americans depend on.
Sign the petition here: