Provided photo Sharon Watson shares her story with Medicaid during Protect MiCare's press conference Tuesday.

At a press conference Tuesday, Protect MiCare, an organization fighting to save Medicaid for Michiganders, warned of the dangers Medicaid recipients may soon face. The state of Michigan will be heavily affected by President Donald Trump’s recent legislation to heavily reduce Medicaid funding and services.

Protect MiCare is a coalition of about 300 members, including hospitals and health clinics. The organization represents the interests of children and adults on Medicaid, as well as hospitals and their employees.

“We’re hosting this press conference after the passing of the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ to sound the alarm,” said Monique Stanton, President and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy.

“95% of all payments in Medicaid are proper,” Stanton explained. “Instead of investing in state and fraud control units…Republicans in Congress decided to vote to take away people’s healthcare…this is a shameful betrayal.”

More than one million Michiganders are on Medicaid plans, including children and seniors in nursing homes.

“The specifics of this [legislation] will have direct and immediate consequences for access to quality, affordable care,” said Brian Peters, CEO of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association. “These cuts will not just jeopardize access to care for Medicaid patients, they will jeopardize access to care for all of us.”

Without receiving funding from Medicaid, hospitals and health clinics may be forced to close. This will be especially disastrous in rural communities, including the Keweenaw. This would not only affect those receiving healthcare, but those providing it.

“Our hospitals employ 220,000 Michiganders,” Peters explained. “We are amongst the largest employers in our communities…there’s going to be an economic repercussion here, in addition to the repercussions in terms of access to care.”

According to Elizabeth Hertel, Director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, 40% of citizens in rural counties are covered by Medicaid.

“People will lose their healthcare coverage,” Hertel said. “Someone who is uninsured doesn’t stop getting sick…what they do do is wait until they are sicker, and receive more expensive care in an emergency department.”

One Medicaid user, Sharon Watson, joined the press conference to share her family’s experience with the service. Watson’s husband is a Navy veteran, and has a 100% disabled designation. One of her sons has severe epilepsy, and her other two children have less severe health needs.

Watson recalled the effect that finding her son in the midst of a catastrophic epileptic seizure had on her family.

“I cannot describe the level of trauma that that has left our family with.” Watson said.

She estimated that her family’s healthcare costs are roughly $9,000 a month, and said there’s “no way a family in our position” would be able to afford the necessary care without Medicaid.

According to Stanton, the important thing for Medicaid recipients to know right now is that they can still access the program, and they should make sure their information is up-to-date.

“It’s really important for individuals to know that they should keep their address and contact information updated,” Stanton said. “There aren’t specific changes, people can still enroll in Medicaid. If they think that they qualify, they should fill out that paperwork right now.”