NEW DATA: SNAP down 26% in last year, Medicaid cuts begin in Nebraska
“The quality of health insurance plans is falling, grocery prices are rising, and affordability challenges are growing. Those are just a few of the themes that come to mind when we think about the continued steep drop in SNAP enrollment, along with initial cuts to Medicaid just getting underway in Nebraska.
“Supporters of these cuts are trying to dress this up as removing waste or reducing bloat, but as we have heard from people across the state, they are struggling to get answers from the Department of Health and Human Services as call wait times grow and response times slow. The reality of administering these cuts always meant that people in need would fall through the cracks.
“Now, we are seeing it in action as the state prepares for yet another round of Medicaid cuts on October 1 that would leave vulnerable populations, including survivors of domestic violence, refugees, asylum seekers, and others without vital health care. This is a crisis that is just beginning to ramp up after Congressmen Don Bacon and Mike Flood voted to cut these programs through the Republican Tax Law.”
-State Director Angie Lauritsen
“Ever since the passage of last year’s tax law, I have been deeply worried about my six grandchildren being able to continue receiving health care through Medicaid. I was saddened to see the state quickly drop two of them from the rolls the exact day cuts began last month. All the while, my husband and I are paying nearly $700 more per month for our own health insurance this year. We expect to pay even more in 2027. Something has to give. We cannot keep going on this way.”
-Audrey, Omaha
