Person from Neenah reaches conclusion of 127-mile trek at State Capitol, driving reform in healthcare sector
Man Completes 127-Mile Journey to Highlight Home Care Crisis
A Neenah man completed a remarkable three-week journey, traveling 127 miles in his wheelchair to the Wisconsin State Capitol on Friday. The man's journey was motivated to draw attention to the home care worker crisis, a problem that has grown worse due to recent cuts to Medicaid.
Accompanied by multiple members of Madison's Disability Rights Community, the man celebrated his accomplishment at the Capitol. He stated, "Every mile I traveled in this chair was a reminder of the strength it takes to live with a disability and more importantly the strength of the caregivers who make our lives possible."
The man explained that the problem has grown worse because of recent cuts to Medicaid. The cuts have significantly reduced home care access in Wisconsin, particularly affecting Medicaid recipients needing long-term and home-based care.
One of the key issues is the lack of access to home care due to low compensation for care workers. The man highlighted this problem, stating that it makes it difficult for care workers to provide the necessary care and support.
Recent Medicaid cuts enacted through the 2025 federal budget reconciliation bill have imposed work requirements and other restrictions for Medicaid adults aged 19 to 64 without dependents. This puts approximately 63,000 people at risk of losing Medicaid coverage, directly threatening access to home and community-based services critical for seniors and disabled individuals.
The cuts also include a moratorium on new or increased provider taxes, limiting Wisconsin’s ability to finance Medicaid sustainably and maintain reimbursement levels for home care providers. This could potentially reduce providers’ capacity to serve Medicaid clients.
Rural hospitals and senior living centers, which often serve as hubs for home care referrals and support, are under significant financial stress due to Medicaid funding reductions. About 40-80% of their revenue may be impacted, which could lead to cutbacks in home care supports linked to hospital and community health partnerships.
Estimates suggest as many as 30,000 Wisconsinites in rural areas alone could lose Medicaid coverage, compounding access issues for home care in rural communities already facing provider shortages and transportation barriers.
The state government highlights that about 1 in 5 Wisconsinites depend on Medicaid programs, including home care services, so cuts will broadly disrupt these services, with vulnerable populations such as elderly adults in nursing homes and disabled persons most affected.
In summary, Medicaid cuts in Wisconsin are causing a contraction in available funding and eligibility for home care, especially for elderly and disabled recipients. This threatens to reduce access to essential home and community-based services and strain rural healthcare infrastructure critical to delivering such care.
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- The man's journey to the Wisconsin State Capitol aimed to shed light on the home care worker crisis, which has worsened due to recent cuts in Medicaid, a federal program primarily focused on medical-conditions and chronic-diseases like chronic-kidney-disease.
- The lack of access to home care is a significant issue, aggravated by low compensation for care workers, a conundrum that negatively impacts the fitness-and-exercise and health-and-wellness of chronic-disease patients.
- The 2025 federal budget reconciliation bill, enacted through policy-and-legislation, is imposing work requirements and restrictions on Medicaid adults, potentially causing 63,000 individuals to lose coverage, affecting their mental-health and overall-health-and-wellness.
- Recent Medicaid cuts have also implemented a moratorium on provider taxes, limiting Wisconsin's ability to finance Medicaid sustainably and maintain reimbursement levels for home care providers, potentially reducing the capacity of CBD and other care providers to serve Medicaid clients.
- General-news outlets report that rural healthcare infrastructure is under immense financial stress due to Medicaid funding reductions, putting thousands of Wisconsinites at risk of losing coverage, impacting home-care access in rural areas already grappling with provider shortages and transportation barriers.
