FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 25, 2025 

CONTACT: Jack Cardinal, jcardinal@communitycatalyst.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Southerners for Medicaid Expansion coalition, in collaboration with national partner Community Catalyst, hosted a virtual press conference featuring advocates, health care experts, and individuals affected by proposed federal and state level Medicaid cuts. The event came days after the 15th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on March 23, which enabled Medicaid expansion but has been continuously blocked in many Southern states. Now, new federal and state proposals are threatening to cut Medicaid funding even further, leaving millions at risk of losing access to care.

Participants from Mississippi, Kansas, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and recently expanded North Carolina shared firsthand experiences of how Medicaid access has been life-changing and how proposed cuts would devastate their families and communities. Policy experts from state-based advocacy organizations and Community Catalyst outlined the broader consequences, including:   

  • Direct harm to people who rely on Medicaid for health insurance: Particularly people living with or supporting people with disabilities. Kids who rely on Medicaid for basic physical and mental health care needs. Nursing home residents, and more.
  • Hospital closures: Medicaid funding is a critical source of revenue for rural hospitals and health care providers. Without it, more hospitals—especially in the South—are at risk of shutting down, leaving communities without access to care.
  • Job losses: Medicaid dollars fuel local economies by supporting health care jobs and services. Proposed cuts would eliminate jobs—not just in health care but across industries that rely on a healthy workforce.
  • Rising medical debt: Many individuals who lose Medicaid turn to emergency rooms as a last resort, leading to skyrocketing medical debt and financial instability.   

Speakers shared powerful stories highlighting the devastating consequences of these proposed cuts—not only for individuals and their families but also for local economies and health systems already struggling under financial strain.

Maria Sutter, a member and advocate of the disabled community who lives in Florida, urged lawmakers to look at the potentially devastating impacts to her community. She said, “35 years ago, hundreds of Americans literally crawled up the steps of our national capital advocating to even the playing field for people with disabilities. I’m sharing my story because I know my voice can help secure existing policies and allow us to engage in new dialogue about strengthening and growing these policies. It would be easy to feel like I’m just a dollar figure on someone’s accounting ledger, but my stable health and well-being are irrefutable proof of the importance of continuing to fund robust Medicaid waivers.” 

Robyn Hyden, Executive Director of Alabama Arise said “We believe in the dignity of every human being whether they are working outside of the home or working in the home as a caregiver; whether they are elderly, disabled, a child, or a student; whether they are parents, pregnant or not. Medicaid is a lifeline for the over 1 million Alabamians who rely on this coverage every single day.” 

Khaylah Scott, Program Manager of the Mississippi Health Advocacy Program said, “Medicaid is not only a lifeline for Mississippi’s most vulnerable populations but also a vital component of our state’s economy. Medicaid supports our workforce, hospitals and providers, families, and more. Cuts to Medicaid would not only jeopardize the health and well-being of 700,000 Mississippians; it would also increase the financial strain on our already-struggling health care delivery system. Protecting Medicaid is crucial for the future of Mississippi’s economy and the health of its residents.” 

April Holman, Executive Director, Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, said, “Since Kansas has chosen to include relatively few optional services and populations in our Medicaid program, the enormous federal cuts being discussed in Congress would have an outsized impact on the limited groups covered in our state: seniors who need nursing home or in-home care, low-income children and their parents, pregnant women, and people with disabilities. There is no way federal cuts of this level would not take health care away from Kansans.” 

Laura Robeson, Kansas, parent of a child with a disability, said, “My son Danny, and thousands of kids like him, receive home and community-based waiver services through Medicaid. This support provides home health care services that will follow him for the rest of his life. Our life often has a degree of uncertainty and can be a bit of a tightrope. A simple cold can turn into a serious respiratory illness. A bad night of sleep can trigger seizures. Having a strong network of support, health care providers, and resources through Medicaid is what provides a security and safety net for our family.”

This press call builds on national efforts to push back against proposed Medicaid cuts and mobilize action to protect health care access in Southern states. Advocates called on lawmakers to reject these cuts, safeguard Medicaid, and to finally expand access to those who have been left behind.  

 ”Medicaid is a lifeline for millions, yet these proposed cuts are disproportionately harming Black, Latinx, and rural communities across the South—deepening both health and financial disparities,” said Ellen Taverna, Associate Director of the Together for Medicaid program at Community Catalyst. “We are 15 years past the ACA’s passage, and yet millions are still being denied health care because of political decisions that put profit and power over people’s lives. Medicaid isn’t just about health—it’s about economic stability. Medical debt is already the leading cause of bankruptcy in the U.S., and stripping away Medicaid coverage will only push more families into crisis. No one should have to choose between paying rent and getting the care they need, yet that’s exactly what these cuts will force people to do—especially in Southern states that have refused to expand Medicaid. Instead of making it harder for people to access health care, lawmakers should be working to eliminate medical debt and ensure everyone can get the care they need, without going into financial ruin.”  

A recording of the event is available here. For more information or to schedule interviews with speakers, please contact Jack Cardinal at jcardinal@communitcatalyst.org.

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About Southerners for Medicaid Expansion:  

Southerners for Medicaid Expansion is a coalition of hundreds of community leaders, grassroots organizations, and nonprofit policy think tanks across nine states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Kansas), banning together to lead health equity movements across Southern states that have not expanded Medicaid. More information is available at https://southerners4medex.org/.   

 About Community Catalyst:  

Community Catalyst is a national organization dedicated to building the power of people to create a health system rooted in race equity and health justice, and a society where health is a right for all. We’re an experienced, trusted partner to organizations across the country, a change agent to policymakers at the local, state, and national level, and both an adversary and a collaborator to health systems in our efforts to advance health justice. We partner with local, state and national organizations and leaders to leverage and build power so that people are at the center of important decisions about health and health care, whether they are made by health care executives, in state houses, or on Capitol Hill. Together with partners, we’re building a powerful, united movement with a shared vision of and strategy for a health system accountable to all people. Learn more at www.communitycatalyst.org.