Last week saw the long-dreaded release of the House GOP’s proposed Medicaid cuts, raising alarms and critical questions from many in California and across the country. Join us as we break down what’s going on, what Congress is considering, and why Medicaid cannot be undermined. Then, we’ll have a live Q&A to get your questions answered.

About the Town Hall:

Congress will soon vote on the Budget Reconciliation Bill (The “Big, Beautiful Bill”) which is currently working its way through the House, likely for a full floor vote before Memorial Day. These cuts would be the largest Medicaid cuts in history and, if enacted, the next 10 years would see $715 billion in cuts and 14 million people losing vital health care coverage. This is not just a budget cut, it’s severing a lifeline to millions of Americans.

Every day, Disability Rights California (DRC) receives calls from Californians concerned about how these Medicaid cuts will affect their well-being. These cuts would hurt our clients and community members by removing them from eligibility or reducing services for those who remain eligible.

In response to this influx of questions, we will be hosting an emergency townhall covering:

• What is Medicaid and why does it matter? 
• What is going on in Congress right now? 
• What is the proposal that Congress is considering? 
• How does the budget reconciliation process work? 
• Where are things in the process?

Then, we will host an open Q&A session with our panel of engaged experts about the proposed cuts to Medicaid.

Speakers:

Sabrina Epstein, Policy Analyst, Disability Rights California
Sabrina Epstein (she/her) is a Policy Analyst at Disability Rights California. At DRC, she works on issues that affect people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, like health care, housing, and home- and community-based services. Sabrina’s work is informed by her experience as a disabled person.

Vivian Haun, Senior Policy Attorney, Disability Rights California 

Tiffany Huyenh-Cho, Justice in Aging
Tiffany leads Justice in Aging’s efforts to improve the experience of people dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid health coverage in California. She works to improve access to Medicaid and the policies and systems that impact how dually eligible individuals access health care and regularly meets with federal, state, and local partners to achieve these goals. Tiffany joined Justice in Aging in 2021.

Wesley Witherspoon, Project Coordinator, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Wesley Witherspoon has been a Project Coordinator at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles since 2006 and is a member of the Community Emergency Response Team and works as a Disability Consultant for Jay Nolan Community Services. Wesley serves as a representative with self-advocates and their networks and the programs and activities of the University of Southern California’s Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (USC UCEDD).

Bhumit Shah, Peer Advocates, Advocacy and Community Engagement (ACE) Unit, Disability Rights California 

Kecia Weller, 
Kecia Weller is an accomplished Disability Justice Activist that has worked in the Disabilities Rights field for more than 30 years. Her current advocacy work is with the UCLA Tarjan Center. She has served on the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, and the California State Rehabilitation Council and provided her expertise to the California Department of Aging: Long Term Care Ombudsman Program. Ms. Weller is a nationally recognized Abuse Awareness/Prevention Advocate. Ms. Weller is quite fond of mentoring other people with disabilities to be outstanding leaders in the civil rights movements for disabilities.