Protecting Medicaid: A lifeline for many Illinoisans

As state representative for Illinois’ 43rd District and chair of the state’s Medicaid Working Group, I have long championed Medicaid as a cornerstone of health and dignity for millions of Illinoisans. But today, that lifeline is under unprecedented threat.

With the passage of President Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” Congress has enacted sweeping changes that will fundamentally alter the Medicaid program as we know it — at the expense of our most vulnerable residents. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the legislation will result in nearly 12 million Americans losing health coverage by 2034, the vast majority through Medicaid cuts.

Illinois will be hit particularly hard. In our state, where nearly one in four residents rely on Medicaid, it is expected 330,000 Illinoisans will lose their health coverage. In addition, new bureaucratic hurdles established in Trump’s bill will lead to coverage losses not because people are ineligible, but because they are unable to navigate the red tape.

Trump’s cruel bill, which he signed into law on July 4, will lead to devastating consequences to Illinois and many of our residents. Hospitals and clinics — especially those serving underserved communities — could be forced to shut down or reduce services. Rural health care access, already strained, would dwindle further. The Illinois Department of Public Health indicates nine rural hospitals in Illinois would face closure or severe reductions due to these draconian cuts. Families would struggle to afford basic medical care, and individuals with chronic conditions could be left untreated, increasing costs and suffering over time.

These cuts don’t just affect individuals — they destabilize our entire health care system. When uninsured or underinsured people can’t afford preventive care, they turn to emergency rooms as their last resort, driving up costs and straining resources. Ultimately, cutting Medicaid shifts the financial burden to states, local governments and taxpayers while worsening public health outcomes.

Protecting Medicaid is not just a moral imperative — it’s an economic one. Healthier communities mean a stronger workforce, lower uncompensated care costs and greater financial stability for families.

I know how vital this program is for the health and dignity of our communities. Currently, Illinois’ Medicaid program serves nearly 3.5 million residents — roughly one in four people in our state — at an annual cost of about $33.7 billion, according to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. It’s important to understand that around 62% of that funding — $20.9 billion — comes from the federal government. Much of the state’s share is supported through assessments on hospitals, nursing homes and managed care organizations, which are then leveraged to bring in additional federal funds.

At the state level, we’ve worked hard to strengthen Medicaid. That’s why I was proud to sponsor Illinois’ Medicaid omnibus bill this spring, which was signed into law on June 16. This legislation, though modest in cost, delivers meaningful improvements: allowing family members of medically fragile children to become certified caregivers, and ensuring Medicaid patients can be accompanied by a certified doula during childbirth. These are the kinds of compassionate, cost-effective reforms we should be pursuing — not punitive federal mandates that strip people of care.

Medicaid isn’t just a line in the budget — it’s a lifeline. It covers 40% of all births in Illinois and supports 69% of our nursing home residents, according to the nonpartisan KFF, a health policy think tank.

Medicaid is more than a policy — it is a promise that no one will be denied care due to their financial circumstances.

I urge elected officials across Illinois, regardless of political affiliation or geographic location, to join me in the effort to preserve and expand Medicaid for all Illinoisans who rely on it. We must push back against the harmful federal cuts enacted by the Trump Administration and instead work in unison to strengthen health care accessibility across our state. Our residents deserve nothing less.

• Anna Moeller, a Democrat from Elgin, is state representative for the 43rd District.