Nurses stand firm in support of Medicaid and advocate for access to quality care for eveyone

As a registered nurse, I have never before seen nurses so united on a single issue.....I am proud to be among those who are supporting these national advocacy efforts to defend Medicaid and provide access to affordable quality healthcare. 

From American Nurses Association public policy: ANA Advocacy to Defend Medicaid – Over the past six months, ANA worked with its constituent/state nursing associations (C/SNAs- i.e. state nurses associations), organizational affiliates (OAs), and other nursing and health care allies to educate lawmakers on Capitol Hill about the devastating impact that Medicaid cuts would have on patients and the nursing workforce. 

The Real Cost of Medicaid Cuts: Hospitals Could Close, Nurses Burn Out, Warns ANA President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy

ANA’s government affairs team participated in scores of individual and coalition meetings on Capitol Hill. In addition to signing on to several coalition letters and statements, ANA partnered with 84 nursing organizations to send Congressional Leadership a letter urging them to preserve patients’ access to nurses through Medicaid.

ANA also launched a series of grassroots advocacy campaigns that cumulatively resulted in 4,686 nursing advocates sending 6,528 emails. Through the association’s Medicaid Matters campaign, 220 nurses shared how Medicaid cuts would impact their profession and the patients whom they serve. On Hill Day, more than 500 nurses representing 47 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands visited congressional offices to urge them to oppose Medicaid reforms that adversely impact nurses and patients. As recently as July 1, ANA issued a statement reminding lawmakers to carefully consider the policy and political consequences of Medicaid cuts resulting from the passage of H.R. 1.

Huge Thank You! - ANA is grateful to its nurse advocates, C/SNAs, OAs, and other health care allies for their collaboration to defend Medicaid over the past six months. While we may have lost this battle, our efforts to advance the interests of America’s 5 million nurses and their patients will continue. ANA looks forward to working with its allies on both the federal and state levels to blunt the impact of this measure on nurses and their patients during the implementation process.

Echo report published in Daily Nurse- the pulse of nursing:

H.R.1 the Donald Trump big ugly bill,  successfully passed both houses of Congress and has now been signed into law. The American Nurses Association (ANA) is sounding a renewed and urgent alarm.

“We are deeply concerned about the negative impacts of the bill that has just passed both houses of Congress,” said ANA President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, H.R.1 will slash healthcare funding by $1.1 trillion, with $930 billion in Medicaid cuts and 11.8 million Americans projected to lose access to their health insurance.

“These are not just numbers—they are human beings,” said Dr. Kennedy. “Passage of this bill is a devastating blow to millions of Americans who rely on Medicaid.”

Why It Matters: Medicaid Cuts Have Real-World Consequences

Nurses witness firsthand the role Medicaid plays in keeping families, seniors, children, and rural communities healthy and supported. Cutting these funds, the ANA warns, will have a downstream effect on access to care, clinical staffing, and the stability of hospitals and health centers—especially in underinvested areas.

“Medicaid is not simply a line item in the federal budget—it is the lifeline that keeps America’s health care system functioning,” said Dr. Kennedy. “These cuts will have a downstream negative effect on clinic access, staffing, and access to care, with consequences that will be felt for generations.”

Medicaid currently accounts for 19% of hospital revenue nationwide. Reductions of this magnitude could trigger a domino effect: hospital and clinic closures, overburdened providers, and reduced care for patients across the board.

Nurses Already Under Pressure, stretched thin, and the ANA cautions that further erosion of Medicaid support will increase burnout, moral injury, and attrition among the nursing workforce.

“Cuts to Medicaid would result in hospital and clinic closures… and would force nurses to shoulder even heavier workloads, leading to burnout, attrition, and ultimately, worse patient outcomes,” Dr. Kennedy said.

Standing Firm: Nurses Will Keep Advocating

Despite this legislative setback, the ANA said the association and members will continue fighting for patients and providers.

“The American Nurses Association’s commitment to ensuring human flourishing and access to healthcare remains steadfast,” said Dr. Kennedy. “We will continue to advocate relentlessly to defend healthcare access, hold policy makers and regulators accountable, and mitigate these damaging cuts.”

With 11.8 million Americans at risk of losing insurance, the ANA is urging lawmakers—and the public—not to treat this as a political footnote, but as a defining issue that will shape the future of healthcare.

“Nurses are the trusted voices in every community across this country, and we will continue to speak out for our patients and the future of healthcare in America,” said Dr. Kennedy. “The American Nurses Association stands firm in its commitment to protect patients, communities, and the nursing workforce.”

By Renee Hewitt Editor & Content Strategist