Put People First PA has organized a Nonviolent Medicaid Army to combat cuts to the program. During the COVID pandemic, a social safety net was created to prevent people from being hurt by it. Now that the pandemic has been declared over (though people are still getting sick and dying from the disease).
Last week they conducted a week of action to combat cuts to Medicaid. They went to Pittsburgh, Johnstown, Berwick, and Delaware County converging on Harrisburg. They presented a petition to Gov. Shapiro urging him to restore cuts and move toward a Medicaid for all model.
Child poverty declined precipitously in 2021 when the child tax credit was expanded under the measures taken under the COVID pandemic. It then rebounded by 138% once it was taken away. The Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates will be released in December to show the impacts on the local area.
These deleterious effects on the poor are compounded by cuts in Medicaid even with the Chip Program. Children need to be healthy but so do their parents in these “good” economic times. The Nonviolent Medicaid Army speaks up for those hurt by these policies.
Madeline Burrows spoke of how her partner struggles with her health as she pursues her art as a musician. The Healthy Artists project provides an echo to her concerns.