Pennsylvanians Voice Healthcare Concerns Ahead Of Midterms

Ahead of the midterms, a group of nonpartisan volunteers is going door-to-door in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, having candid conversations about voting and finding healthcare is a major policy concern for most voters.

Federal cuts from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are estimated to risk the Medicaid coverage of 310,000 Pennsylvanians.

Sara Emerle, a canvasser with the We the Fighters campaign, said people are worried about the cost of prescriptions, insurance and medical bills.

"One person I spoke with, they had lost their health insurance and is rationing their blood pressure medication. And instead of taking it every day as prescribed, they're taking it every day or two to make their pills last longer because they can't afford to refill their prescription every month," Emerle recounted.

Emerle added rising premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket costs have left her with medical debt, despite having employer-provided insurance.

The Trump administration says its Medicaid changes will fight fraud, waste and abuse. Opponents said tightened eligibility and added work reporting rules will leave millions uninsured. In Pennsylvania, Medicaid covers approximately 3 million people, including 39% of children under 21 years old.

Emerle spoke with the mother of a child who has special needs and relies on Medicaid to get care.

"She was scared about potential cuts because she knew she wouldn't be able to afford the care on her own, without Medicaid. And imagine being a parent who's already doing everything you can for your child and having to worry about whether you'll still be able to afford that care that your child depends on," Emerle stressed.

Charles Metzner, another canvasser for the campaign, said he lives in the 7th Congressional District and is participating in phone banking. He noted people he has surveyed are still upset about the Department of Government Efficiency and all the changes it brought to federal programs. Metzner has also been negatively affected by Trump administration policies.

"I am among those who lost Medicaid. Additionally, I was working for a solar company and that kind of fell apart because Donald Trump eliminated the subsidies for those," Metzner explained.

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has an online portal for enrollees to determine how they are affected by changes to Medicaid.