Flemington—July 30,2026---New Jersey Citizen Action (NJCA), CWA Local 1036 and 1139SEIU joined healthcare workers and consumers for a roundtable on the challenges facing Medicaid recipients on the program’s 61s anniversary. The topics discussed included the Trump administration’s recent, devastating cuts to Medicaid; rule changes pertaining to immigrant status; upcoming work requirements; the challenges facing people with medical conditions in obtaining exemptions; and the overall impact of these unprecedented cuts on our healthcare system overall.
Caregivers and health care professionals described the uncertainty families face as critical health care services become harder to access.
“For 61 years, Medicaid has been a lifeline for millions of Americans,” said Basking Ridge resident Theresa Luoni. “As the mother of two autistic teenagers who rely on it every day, I know these cuts aren’t just policy, they threaten my children’s opportunity to reach their full potential and participate in their communities. Timely access to healthcare is especially crucial to families like mine. When critical therapies and services are delayed or lost, that progress often can’t be rebuilt. On Medicaid’s anniversary, we should be protecting this lifeline, not taking it away from the people who need it most.”
New Jersey is one of 25 states suing the Trump administration for new Medicaid work requirements that will cause millions of people to lose health insurance. Federal guidelines on who can qualify for a medical frailty exemption are too restrictive and burdensome and will not protect people with illnesses or disabilities from the new rules.
New laws restricting non-citizen eligibility for NJ FamilyCare/Medicaid starting this fall could see more than 20,000 people lose health insurance; more than 70,000 people have become uninsured since the start of this year. Overall, cuts and changes to Medicaid threaten the health insurance of more than 300,000 state residents.
“On the 61st anniversary of Medicaid’s creation, we are reminded that health care is not a privilege reserved for the wealthy — it is a lifeline working families, retirees, people with disabilities, children, and caregivers rely on every day,” said Michele Liebtag, CWA Local 1036 Political and Education Director. “Union members know that strong public programs like Medicaid protect our communities, support good caregiving jobs, and keep families from being one illness away from financial crisis. At a time when Medicaid is under attack, we must stand together to defend it, strengthen it, and ensure that every person can get the care they need with dignity.”
Roundtable participants also urged Congressman Tom Kean, Jr., the area’s Representative, to work across the aisle to restore funding to Medicaid and undo the damage the cuts have caused. Kean and New Jersey GOP Representatives Jeff Van Drew and Chris Smith all voted last year for the Trump Administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill”, which cut billions from Medicaid and other critical services to fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations.
Kean was absent from Congress for months while getting treatment for depression. NJCA Healthcare Program Director Laura Waddell noted that Kean got the treatment and support his votes will deny millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of his fellow New Jerseyans, including many struggling with mental illnesses.
“Congressman Kean is a millionaire who has access to resources and treatments many New Jerseyans can only dream of,” said Waddell. “We hope his experiences help him better understand how critical treatment is for chronic illnesses and how crucial NJ FamilyCare/Medicaid is for those treatments. We urge him to work with other lawmakers to undo the damage he’s done and to ensure Medicaid, and our country’s health care system, works for everyone.”
There is some relief for those whose healthcare is threatened. Waddell also highlighted a user-friendly, searchable database on the NJ For Health Care Coalition website NJForHealthcare.org, that provides NJ residents with quick access to community health centers, free clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, hospital charity care programs, and other affordable health care resources across all 21 counties.
Users can search by county, service type, or provider to find care close to home without needing to sign up or pay to use the resource. The database is a lifeline for individuals and families who may be uninsured, underinsured, or experiencing gaps in coverage.
But advocates and union leaders also urged action from everyday citizens and elected leaders on the crisis facing Medicaid.
“Today, we must act with urgency,” Liebtag said. “Union members, allies, and elected leaders cannot stay silent while Medicaid faces devastating cuts and harmful policy changes that would put working families, seniors, people with disabilities, children, and vulnerable communities at immediate risk. We are calling on every member, every elected official, and every ally to raise their voices now, hold Congress accountable, and demand that Medicaid be protected before these attacks do lasting damage to our communities and our health care system.”
Caregivers and health care professionals described the uncertainty families face as critical health care services become harder to access.
“For 61 years, Medicaid has been a lifeline for millions of Americans,” said Basking Ridge resident Theresa Luoni. “As the mother of two autistic teenagers who rely on it every day, I know these cuts aren’t just policy, they threaten my children’s opportunity to reach their full potential and participate in their communities. Timely access to healthcare is especially crucial to families like mine. When critical therapies and services are delayed or lost, that progress often can’t be rebuilt. On Medicaid’s anniversary, we should be protecting this lifeline, not taking it away from the people who need it most.”
New Jersey is one of 25 states suing the Trump administration for new Medicaid work requirements that will cause millions of people to lose health insurance. Federal guidelines on who can qualify for a medical frailty exemption are too restrictive and burdensome and will not protect people with illnesses or disabilities from the new rules.
New laws restricting non-citizen eligibility for NJ FamilyCare/Medicaid starting this fall could see more than 20,000 people lose health insurance; more than 70,000 people have become uninsured since the start of this year. Overall, cuts and changes to Medicaid threaten the health insurance of more than 300,000 state residents.
“On the 61st anniversary of Medicaid’s creation, we are reminded that health care is not a privilege reserved for the wealthy — it is a lifeline working families, retirees, people with disabilities, children, and caregivers rely on every day,” said Michele Liebtag, CWA Local 1036 Political and Education Director. “Union members know that strong public programs like Medicaid protect our communities, support good caregiving jobs, and keep families from being one illness away from financial crisis. At a time when Medicaid is under attack, we must stand together to defend it, strengthen it, and ensure that every person can get the care they need with dignity.”
Roundtable participants also urged Congressman Tom Kean, Jr., the area’s Representative, to work across the aisle to restore funding to Medicaid and undo the damage the cuts have caused. Kean and New Jersey GOP Representatives Jeff Van Drew and Chris Smith all voted last year for the Trump Administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill”, which cut billions from Medicaid and other critical services to fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations.
Kean was absent from Congress for months while getting treatment for depression. NJCA Healthcare Program Director Laura Waddell noted that Kean got the treatment and support his votes will deny millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of his fellow New Jerseyans, including many struggling with mental illnesses.
“Congressman Kean is a millionaire who has access to resources and treatments many New Jerseyans can only dream of,” said Waddell. “We hope his experiences help him better understand how critical treatment is for chronic illnesses and how crucial NJ FamilyCare/Medicaid is for those treatments. We urge him to work with other lawmakers to undo the damage he’s done and to ensure Medicaid, and our country’s health care system, works for everyone.”
There is some relief for those whose healthcare is threatened. Waddell also highlighted a user-friendly, searchable database on the NJ For Health Care Coalition website NJForHealthcare.org, that provides NJ residents with quick access to community health centers, free clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, hospital charity care programs, and other affordable health care resources across all 21 counties.
Users can search by county, service type, or provider to find care close to home without needing to sign up or pay to use the resource. The database is a lifeline for individuals and families who may be uninsured, underinsured, or experiencing gaps in coverage.
But advocates and union leaders also urged action from everyday citizens and elected leaders on the crisis facing Medicaid.
“Today, we must act with urgency,” Liebtag said. “Union members, allies, and elected leaders cannot stay silent while Medicaid faces devastating cuts and harmful policy changes that would put working families, seniors, people with disabilities, children, and vulnerable communities at immediate risk. We are calling on every member, every elected official, and every ally to raise their voices now, hold Congress accountable, and demand that Medicaid be protected before these attacks do lasting damage to our communities and our health care system.”