Imagine your patient shows up at her cardiologist in January only to learn her Medicare Advantage plan no longer covers that doctor. Plans change their provider networks every year, so it's essential to review your coverage during Medicare open enrollment, happening now through December 7.

You were incredible, Alice Wong, and it was a blessing to have collaborated with you on projects, to have read your words and to have heard your voice, as full of life and passion and joy and rage as it was. You made a difference—so much of a difference. Rest always in peace, and always in power.

‘Death remains my intimate shadow partner. It has been with me since birth, always hovering close by. I understand one day we will finally waltz together into the ether. I hope when that time comes, I die with the satisfaction of a life well-lived, unapologetic, joyful, & full of love.’ —Alice Wong

No one should go hungry. SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) is a particularly powerful program for making lives better:

One more thread on a new provision in Senate reconciliation bill that Senate GOP will misleadingly tout as expanding access to home- and community-based services for seniors and people with disabilities (section 71123) but in context of the bill, it won't be meaningful (1/x)

Seven ways that the reconciliation bill will harm older adults: #Medicaid #Reconciliation #OBBB

The reconciliation bill currently in the Senate will penalize people for having disabilities, for caregiving for loved ones, and for losing their jobs. Here are two stories of where these policies already caused stress and disability. #Medicaid #JobLossPenalty

Losing Medicaid's financial assistance & the cascading consequences of that loss, is just one of the myriad of ways in which, as @otherrbg.bsky.social states, the reconciliation bill finds "savings built on the backs of seniors and people with disabilities." news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-a...

They say never read the comments, but the responses to this piece underline just how difficult it is for people to maintain access to health insurance in America even before the GOP makes it even harder.

The invoice for the very bad deal. Call Congress before they vote to send the bill for their tax giveaways to seniors and other low-income people who rely on Medicaid and SNAP.

The CBO finds that if the Reconciliation Bill goes through: -7.6 million people would lose coverage because of Medicaid changes -1 million would lose it because of changes to the ACA from E&C -2.1 million would lose it because of changes by Ways and Means www.cbo.gov/publication/...

Budget reconciliation SNAP cuts shift large costs to states at same time state use of provider taxes will be restricted and make it more difficult to finance states’ share of #Medicaid costs. States have to balance their budgets so inevitable result will be severe cuts to SNAP and Medicaid.

The House Ag bill released tonight would take away or cut #SNAP food benefits for millions of low-income people struggling to afford groceries—families w/ children, seniors, ppl w/ disabilities, veterans & workers in low-wage jobs.

And we expect the Energy & Commerce Committee to repeal #Medicaid rules that will take cost-sharing assistance from ~1.4 million people with Medicare, making it unaffordable for low-income seniors & people with disabilities to see the doctor or meet their basic needs. #ProtectMedicaid

Make no mistake: Republicans in Congress are coming after #Medicare too! The legislative text they will consider next week would strip Medicare coverage from immigrants who have been living, working, and paying taxes in the U.S. for decades.

Imagine working 90 hours in a month and still losing Medicaid due to work requirements.

Work requirements cut Medicaid for working people. Work requirements cut Medicaid for parents and caregivers. Work requirements cut Medicaid for people with disabilities and chronic conditions. #Medicaid

Breaking: Today, we filed a lawsuit against the Social Security Administration and DOGE for creating roadblocks that prevent Americans from getting their retirement and disability benefits. 🧵Thread

Today, we filed a lawsuit against Social Security to ensure 73 million people have access to the benefits they are entitled to. People rely on their benefits to pay for housing, food, and basic needs, and SSA is also responsible for facilitating access to Medicare & Medicaid. Read more 👇

Medicaid improves financial well-being #medicaid

Medicaid improves education outcomes - a story in 2 studies. #Medicaid

Medicaid saves lives - a story in two studies. #medicaid

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Work requirements are fundamentally flawed policy. Every study shows that they 1) kick eligible people off Medicaid; 2) cost a ton to administer & 3) do not increase work. It's a policy intentionally designed to strip people of coverage while giving lawmakers a facade of acting in good faith.

A couple of Georgia examples of individuals who could not get health care because of work requirements:

Evidence from Arkansas’ 2018 Medicaid work requirements suggest that a significant number of working people lost coverage when the program was paused.

After Arkansas' experience with Medicaid work requirements (18,000 losing coverage), New Hampshire was determined to do better. They vowed have better media, better notices, better pathways to regain coverage. The result? 17,000 were set to lose coverage when New Hampshire paused work requirements

Seven reasons why a cut to Medicaid is a cut to Medicare:

The Congressional Budget Office confirms that the only way to cut $880B is by cutting Medicaid. And the only way to cut that much from Medicaid is by stripping coverage & access from millions of older adults & other low-income Americans. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Thirty percent of Medicaid funding supports Medicare enrollees. When you cut Medicaid, you cut Medicare. Read more in our @justiceinaging.org factsheet and issue brief with @medicarerights.bsky.social, Center for Medicare Advocacy, & @communitycatalyst.org. justiceinaging.org/a-cut-to-med...

On this point, Republican lawmakers are asking for assurances that Medicaid won't be cut from leadership. But those assurances can't be made because - for those in the back - there is no way for E&C to cut $880B & not cut Medicaid. So if you're "assured" it's because you're disregarding reality.

Republican lawmakers are considering $880B in cuts to Medicaid. This would result in 56% of older adults losing coverage. That's 4.7 million seniors! Call your lawmakers and demand they not cut Medicaid. (202) 224-3121 #HandsOffMedicaid

🚨Action Alert! 🚨 Congress is planning to fast-track a vote on Medicaid cuts next week. Tell Congress to reject any budget that uses Medicaid funds as a piggy bank to fund tax breaks for the wealthy. Call 866-426-2631 to reach your member of Congress.

"Valadao & Malliotakis - both of whom represent districts with a significant % of Medicaid recipients said that they are withholding support from the budget resolution as they seek more information on the severity of the cuts and how they could impact their constituents" thehill.com/newsletters/...

Tomorrow, I'm doing a webinar for clinicians who want to advocate for Medicaid with their federal elected leaders, as Medicaid faces existential threats. Clinicians are some of the best possible advocates for Medicaid, and I am really, really good at this. We won't waste your time. 🧵

Roses are red, Violets are blue, Medicaid cuts hurt seniors - we know that it's true. By funding care and fighting disease, three in ten Medicaid dollars support Medicare enrollees. justiceinaging.org/cutting-medi... #healthpolicyvalentine

Work requirements are red tape. Red tape = cuts. Seniors will be harmed. Many older adults who aren't yet eligible for Medicare would be uninsured if not for #Medicaid. They have Medicaid because their employers don't offer health insurance, they have been laid off... (1/3)