Bakersfield cancer advocates urge US Congressman David Valadao to protect Medicaid from budget cuts

Last week, California advocates with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) delivered hundreds of petitions to U.S. Congressman David Valadao's district office in Bakersfield, urging him to protect Medicaid by opposing any cuts to the program. 

Under Valadao’s district (CA-22), 527,000 people are enrolled in Medicaid, which is 67% of local residents and the highest rate of enrollment in the state. More than 6,700 of them have a history of cancer and likely need ongoing monitoring, treatment and screening.   

The postcards that were sent to his office highlighted how making cuts to Medicaid would harm millions of Californians, including working families, cancer patients and survivors, pregnant women, people with disabilities, seniors, veterans and children.  

According to 2023 data, more than one in five people in the U.S. had health care coverage funded by Medicaid that year. In states like California, New York, West Virginia and Louisiana, more than one in four people were covered under Medicaid in 2023.

Since January, ACS CAN volunteers and cancer advocates have reached out to lawmakers with messages and petitions urging Congress to vote against any cuts to Medicaid in any form that can affect individuals who are benefiting from the state health program.

“Representative Valadao has repeatedly assured us that Medicaid will be protected. He even signed a letter to House leadership stating that balancing the federal budget must not come at the expense of those who depend on these Medicaid benefits for their health and economic security,” said Juan Villalobos, ACS CAN volunteer and resident of Congressional District 22.  “Now is the time for him to show us that we can count on his leadership by standing up for his constituents and opposing any cuts to Medicaid.” 

On May 14, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced a budget proposal that would drastically slash funding for Medicaid by $715 billion. The cuts were passed on a 30-24 vote. 

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that these cuts will result in at least 8.6 million people losing coverage over the next decade, with no access to affordable health insurance options. The proposal now heads to the House Budget committee.

If it were to get approved, it would put more than 13.5 million children and adults at risk in California who are insured by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). 

This is not the first action item that community advocates have organized to protect Medicaid. Rallies and marches have also been conducted as soon as rumors began spreading about the potential budget cuts, not just in Bakersfield but in other cities as well, including Los Angeles and San Diego. 

Although the exact details of the Medicaid cuts remain unclear, it is evident that such severe reductions in funding will result in millions of Americans losing access to health care.