Judy Waxman, Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights

For years I went without health insurance. It was just something I couldn’t afford. I prayed everyday that I’d stay healthy enough until I turned 65 and could get on Medicare.

But my luck ran out in 2003 when I developed multiple chronic illnesses. I was fortunate to be eligible for Medicaid due to my disabilities. This allowed me to go to doctors for the first time in years. During one of the exams a doctor discovered that I had uterine cancer. Medicaid provided all the care I needed. And now, 4 years later, I’m cancer free.

These days I keep hearing that Medicaid and Medicare might be cut back. I’ll be in trouble if that happens, because I still have serious health issues and I’m barely making ends meet. Now I watch every penny. Coffee is a luxury item now. It’s a humbling experience.

I’m keeping my spirits up.  But sometimes it’s tough..  I wonder if the politicians have a clue what it’s like to count every penny and stay awake at night worrying about making the rent, getting enough to eat, and wondering whether I will be able to get the health care I need.

                                                                                    --Sandra Morgan, Washington

Do you know anyone who would be okay with allowing elderly women to be kicked out of nursing homes or pregnant women being unable to go to the doctor?

Some policymakers are proposing Medicaid budget cuts that would result in these unconscionable situations.

Tell President Obama to oppose any proposal that cuts or restructures Medicaid.

Right now, Congress is in the middle of important talks about the federal budget. And some of the same lawmakers who refuse to consider eliminating tax breaks for the super-duper rich seem to have no qualms about putting Medicaid, a critical program that provides access to health care for the nation's most vulnerable people, on the chopping block.