RELEASE: Protect Our Care IL, Patients and Providers from IL-12, IL-15, IL-16, Urge Rep. Bost, Rep. LaHood, and Rep. Miller Protect Medicaid

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Josh Schrader

josh@citizenaction-il.org

Over 550,000 Illinoisans could be left without Medicaid coverage if Rep. Bost, Rep. LaHood, and Rep. Miller continue to side with National Republicans

CHICAGO, IL – On Thursday, March 20th, 2025, patients, nurses, doctors and retired health professionals joined a virtual press conference hosted by Protect Our Care IL in collaboration with Citizen Action/Illinois. Speakers from Illinois Congressional Districts 12, 15, and 16 — all represented by a Republican who voted to gut Medicaid — spoke to the impact Medicaid has on their lives while urging their representatives do something to protect it at the federal level. The event condemned the recent House budget vote that includes federal cuts to Medicaid, which could leave over 550,000 Illinoisans without healthcare coverage.

Speakers shared powerful stories highlighting how these cuts threaten working families, seniors, children, and other vulnerable populations.

Carrie Chapman, with the Legal Council for Health Justice, opened the panel: “Everything being proposed in Washington D.C. in relation to Medicaid is full stop, a cut,” Chapman said. “Medicaid isn't just a benefit for low income Americans. Medicaid brings economic stability, drives rural healthcare and helps keep people working. Medicaid protects rural hospitals and health centers that run on razor thin margins. Medicaid is often the difference between keeping their doors open and shutting down. When hospitals close, entire communities lose access to emergency care, specialty care and jobs. Medicaid means hard working families can work.  Protecting Medicaid isn't just compassionate, it's good for our economy.”

A retired Emergency Room Physician, Dr. Kathy Wides, from IL-12 represented by Mike Bost, said, “When Congressman Bost voted to cut Medicaid, he didn’t just target a government program — he put real people in our community at risk. Over 192,900 people in this district rely on Medicaid to stay healthy, to stay working, and to keep their families stable. Cutting Medicaid is shortsighted and dangerous. I saw patients die for lack of care and I fear this becomes our reality.”

Carrie Vine, a patient and Social Worker, whose son died at the age of 26 from Gastric Cancer, shared her deeply personal story of how Medicaid impacted her family's life. “Medicaid gave my family and my son the gift of 17 more months together. We were able to take a trip to the ocean, something he had never experienced. Those precious moments are what I'll remember most. Without Medicaid, I don't know how we would have coped with his sudden diagnosis and the thought of losing him so quickly.” Carrie, also resides in IL-12 represented by Mike Bost.

As an ICU Nurse from IL-15, represented by Mary Miller, Grace Kistner spoke to her experiences when she sees patients. “As an ICU nurse, I know that when people skip preventive care, they are more likely to end up in my care — and by then, the damage is often too severe. Without Medicaid, more people will show up in our emergency rooms in crisis, and the costs of their care will skyrocket. This isn't just a healthcare issue; it's a financial one. Health conditions don’t discriminate between rural or urban, democrat or republican. I’m calling on my Representative, Mary Miller, to hear the people who elected her and put them first, to protect Medicaid and reject these dangerous cuts.”

Jordan Shaw, a patient also residing in IL-15, represented by Mary Miller, said “I hope that people hear this, think about what it would mean for their local area. Illinois, especially rural Illinois, would lose medical jobs. The people who had those jobs would move away. Towns would get sicker. Fewer people would be able to show up to work. Medical appointments would be less available. The care system would be overwhelmed - especially emergency care. Businesses would lose labor and revenue. Workplaces would close. People would become homeless. More jobs would disappear. Local governments would have to raise taxes and spend more on public services.”

In IL-16, represented by Darin LaHood, Dr. Melissa Lockwood works as a Podiatrist. “One of my patients, a middle-aged man who worked in a local auto plant, had a small wound on his foot that could have been easily treated early on. But because he didn’t have access to a provider, the wound turned into a serious infection. By the time I finally saw him, he required a partial amputation. He couldn’t return to work on the factory floor, which meant he lost his job, lost his employer-provided insurance, and ended up relying on Medicaid. Cutting Medicaid creates this dangerous cycle: people get sicker, lose their jobs, and rely more heavily on emergency care—which costs everyone more in the long run. I urge Congressman LaHood to remember the real people behind these policies. Cutting Medicaid doesn’t just hurt individual patients—it hurts entire communities.”

Finally, Darryl Sheldon, a patient also residing in IL-16 represented by Darin LaHood spoke about the betrayal of the Trump administration. “I’m a diabetic small business owner and I also voted for Donald Trump last November. I can tell you firsthand that Medicaid has been a lifesaver for me. Before I had Medicaid coverage, my diabetes was completely out of control. My blood sugar levels were dangerously high, often exceeding 300. That often put me at serious risk of stroke, heart attack, or even death. I knew I needed help, but I couldn't afford the medications or insulin that would get my condition under control. When I was finally able to get Medicaid, everything changed. I am furious that Donald Trump and Republicans are seemingly backtracking their stance on Medicaid. I'm asking our elected officials, like Darin LaHood to remember that real lives are at stake. Please stand with us. Please protect Medicaid and ensure that people like me can continue to survive and thrive.”

Protect Our Care IL, in partnership with Citizen Action/Illinois believes the proposed cuts would devastate healthcare access across the state. They urge Illinoisans to continue to make their voices heard. Anusha Thotakura, Executive Director with Citizen Action/Illinois said, “Illinoisans deserve to know where their elected officials stand on supporting them — hard working, everyday Illinoisans and the programs they rely on — or with the nation's wealthiest. We will continue to demand Representatives Bost, LaHood, and Miller stand up for working families, seniors, children, and additionally the constituents that elected them to office.”

Protect Our Care IL is a statewide coalition of health care advocates, providers, consumers, small business advocates, and workers committed to ensuring coverage and access to affordable, comprehensive and quality health insurance.

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For Media Inquiries:

Contact

Josh Schrader

Citizen Action/Illinois

(402) 860-0689

josh@citizenaction-il.org