Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are considering severing a lifeline to millions of Americans: Medicaid, the federal program that provides more than half of California’s Medi-Cal funding. Many of us know someone who benefits from the precious resource that connects underserved or vulnerable communities to quality patient care. And the public health services that many SEIU members provide are funded in large part by Medicaid.

So next week SEIU is organizing a national Save Medicaid Lobby Day between March 25-26 to let Congress know: We can’t afford to lose Medicaid!

“A lot of people rely on Medicaid. Low-income families can’t afford most private insurance policies. So the state’s Medicaid program is very important to help workers function in daily life,” said Tina Diep, Chinese community health advocate at Asian Health Services and SEIU 1021 Alameda County representative. “Without taking care of our health, we can’t do any kind of work. A lot of countries have healthcare for all, but in a very rich, powerful country like this one, we can’t do that. It’s very shameful we can’t protect the citizens, seniors, and low-income communities.”

SEIU 1021 members are encouraged to share their personal stories and experiences on how Medicaid has made their lives better. These stories will be shared with lawmakers, and some will be shared on social media. 

Please consider how your life or the lives of the people you serve would be impacted without Medicaid, and share your story at this link today.

In California, fully one-third of the population — almost 15 million residents — rely on Medi-Cal, the state Medicaid program that is over 60% federally funded. Cuts to federal Medicaid funding will result in cuts to eligibility and/or benefits and will strain the state budget as it tries to make up some of the difference.

Let’s rise up together to help STOP the attack on Medicaid!