As a city council member from Beckley, I am deeply concerned about the impact that potential cuts to Medicaid would have on our local community. Medicaid is a lifeline for many West Virginians, including seniors, veterans, children and rural families. In our state, nearly a third of residents count on this key program, and half of West Virginia’s children are covered through Medicaid.
Some in Washington D.C. appear to have the mistaken view that Medicaid is just a social welfare program for the lazy that deserves to be cut by billions of dollars. This just isn’t true. Medicaid is a core program for many thousands of working families across West Virginia whom our nation’s economic elites have spent years leaving behind. For many, Medicaid is the only affordable option. If federal cuts are enacted, uninsured rates will climb and access to critical care will be reduced. This would hit particularly hard in our rural areas where hospitals are already struggling to stay open.
Medicaid expansion, which was approved by our Legislature in 2014, has been a positive force for both patients and healthcare providers across West Virginia. It has helped lower the uninsured rate and supported hospitals across the state. Big, reckless cuts could reverse these gains and place even greater pressure on our local healthcare systems.
President Trump and leaders in Washington have indicated they want to protect Medicaid and I urge them to keep that commitment. We must eliminate wasteful spending and fraud but while avoiding drastic changes that could leave millions of West Virginians without the care they need and deserve. This is not just a healthcare issue. It’s a matter of fairness and basic human dignity.
Let’s keep fighting to protect Medicaid for all families in Beckley and across West Virginia.
- Natalie Coots
- Ward 1
- Beckley City Council Member
