The uncertainty surrounding President Donald Trump’s administration has not abated.

 From the sudden federal funding freeze almost at the onset of Trump’s second term to the more recent on-again, off-again tariffs policy that has raised consternation both on Wall Street and in small businesses, the administration continues to push into place the policies it says will elevate America – but so far have proved alarming to many across the country.

 One of those moves under scrutiny now is the expected cuts to Medicaid supported by Trump and members of the Republican Party in Congress.

 Here in Rhode Island, Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-Congressional District 2, recently hosted a roundtable at the Ocean State Center for Independent Living (OSCIL), discussing the proposed cuts to Medicaid to elevate the stories of people who would be directly affected and to get the word out about the significance of the program.

 “The point that we try to make is that if you're listening or watching, even if you are not on Medicaid yourself, you could still be impacted by these cuts because your providers will be impacted by those cuts,” Magaziner said.

Many doctors’ offices, nursing homes, health centers and therapists depend on Medicaid reimbursement as a large part of their income. To Magaziner’s point, cuts to the program could hurt not only the people on Medicaid but also those served by centers and health care providers who have Medicaid as a primary source of income in their system.

Cranston resident Allison DuPont works as the program development and social media manager at OSCIL and has been a Medicaid recipient all her life.

DuPont has a neuromuscular disease that requires expensive care and medical equipment. She said she receives Medicaid benefits through a waiver that allows her to work and earn money while receiving benefits that help with her wheelchair and other mobility equipment.

According to DuPont, the wheelchair she gets around in costs “north of $50,000,” and her Medicaid waiver services help pay for the people that helps her be independent and stay in the community.

“I can't do much at all for myself,” DuPont said. “So, without PCAs (personal care assistants) who are there to help me eat and go to work and get dressed and do all the other things that able people take for granted, I'm stuck at home and I'm not able to work.”

Michelle Cline, executive director of the Rhode Island Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, pointed out that Medicaid is a mainstay not just for people with physical issues but also gives access to language, calling it “life, essentially,” for those who rely on the agency to provide language interpreters and communications technology. 

“Imagine the deaf patients [who] can't afford interpreters anymore,” Cline said. “We won't be able to provide access. That's already scary.”

As the roundtable continued, one message rang loud and clear through every story shared: Medicaid is, as one participant described, “a lifeline for individuals” using it.

“I feel that just because I was born with a disability, it shouldn't stop me or prevent me from living my life just as anybody else…” said Johnston resident Christina. “So for these funding cuts to come our way, it's very scary.”