• Proposed federal cuts to Medicaid, driven by the extension of 2017 tax cuts, threaten healthcare coverage for over 1.3 million Wisconsin residents.
• Wisconsin lawmakers, including Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Rep. Jodi Emerson, are actively engaging with constituents and healthcare providers to oppose the cuts.
• Potential Medicaid cuts could lead to reduced services, longer wait times, and increased reliance on emergency rooms, ultimately shifting financial burdens onto taxpayers and negatively impacting community health.

Wisconsin is grappling with the potential impact of proposed federal cuts to Medicaid as Congress considers extending tax cuts enacted in 2017. These tax cuts, if extended, would add trillions to the federal deficit over the next decade, leading Republicans to target Medicaid for significant reductions. In response, Wisconsin lawmakers, including Senator Tammy Baldwin and State Representative Jodi Emerson, held roundtable discussions with Medicaid recipients and healthcare providers to highlight the importance of the program and voice concerns about the potential consequences of these cuts. The proposed cuts could affect over 1.3 million Wisconsin residents who rely on Medicaid for healthcare coverage.

• What: Potential federal cuts to Medicaid are being debated in Congress as part of discussions to extend the 2017 tax cuts. These cuts could significantly impact healthcare funding in Wisconsin.
• Who: Key individuals involved include Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Rep. Jodi Emerson, State Sen. Jeff Smith, State Rep. Christian Phelps, and Stephen Smith (CEO of Community Health Systems). Organizations include the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
• When: The discussions and roundtables took place in early May 2025, ahead of Congressional action on legislation regarding the 2017 tax cuts. The 2017 tax cuts are set to expire at the end of 2025 unless renewed.
• Where: Roundtable discussions were held in Madison and Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The federal debate is taking place in the U.S. Congress.

The potential Medicaid cuts are driven by the desire to offset the costs of extending the 2017 tax cuts, which primarily benefit the wealthiest individuals and corporations. These cuts could have severe consequences for Wisconsin, potentially reducing access to healthcare for vulnerable populations, increasing the burden on emergency rooms, and shifting costs to taxpayers. The debate highlights the tension between tax cuts for the wealthy and maintaining social safety nets. The long-term impacts could include poorer health outcomes, increased healthcare costs, and a greater strain on state and local resources.

One of the most powerful things we can do right now is to elevate stories and talk about how compelling a need there is for robust investment in the Medicaid program.

In order to give tax breaks for the rich, what do they want to cut? Medicaid. It’s one of the biggest targets... So from the folks who are most vulnerable, to transfer money to those who are billionaires and millionaires and multi-millionaires — it is criminal in my mind. It’s immoral.

These attacks on the Medicaid program can be devastating if they go through... Not just for the millions of low-income people who need help, not just for the millions of middle-class families who depend on Medicaid — particularly for nursing home care, care in the home to keep you out of the nursing home, and children with special needs, whether it be autism services, whether it be developmental disabilities or physical disabilities.

Sometimes when we look at numbers and you're thinking, 'Wow, Medicaid is a rather large portion of this large budget,' yes it may be, but also the impact we have, like the return on investment, is so much more.

It does us very little good to cut something today that’s going to massively increase costs in a whole other bucket, or a whole other sector in six months or a year. So just really trying to make sure that with any changes, they’re walking that through and modeling it out as far as they can, so they understand what those ripple effects are.

As Congress debates potential cuts to Medicaid to offset the costs of extending the 2017 tax cuts, Wisconsin lawmakers and residents are voicing strong opposition. The proposed cuts could have significant negative impacts on access to healthcare for over 1.3 million Wisconsin residents, particularly low-income individuals, the elderly, and those with disabilities. The situation remains fluid, with ongoing discussions at both the state and federal levels, and the ultimate outcome will depend on the decisions made by Congress in the coming weeks.