RICE LAKE, Wis. (WJMC) — Citizen Action of Wisconsin, a grassroots activist group, hosted a town hall meeting in Rice Lake Monday evening, to discuss proposed federal cuts to Medicaid.
Jeremy Gragert, regional organizer for the group, said around two dozen people were at the event, concerned about loosing access to affordable healthcare.
“One-fifth of Wisconsinites rely on Medicaid to either have quality health insurance through BadgerCare or have coverage for people living with disabilities or need long-term care. The cuts that are being proposed that have passed the House and are now in the Senate would be pretty devastating,” Gragert said.
Wisconsin’s Medicaid program covers 1.2 million people, and funds FamilyCare, IRIS and Birth to 3 as well as mental health care and substance abuse disorder rehabilitation services.
Citizen Action says federal funding contributes 60 percent of the state’s $11 billion Medicaid budget. The cuts are apart of the One Big Beautiful Bill. It was approved by the House and is now being considered by the Senate.