Bakersfield, California (KBAK/KBFX) – Bakersfield health workers travel to Washington, D.C. to take on a potential Medicaid cut that could affect 15 million Californians, including around half a million residents of the Rep. David Baradao area. I'm protesting.
“Thousands of people in Rep. Baradao's district could be at risk,” said Natalie Padilla, a pharmacy technician at Bakersfield. “If Medi-Cal funds are cut, the hospital will be closed and our community will feel the consequences. Will Rep. Baradao stand with us or will he abandon the people he represents? I want to know. This is not politics, it's about protecting. It ensures that living and hospitals remain open.”
The group warns that without this funding, the community could lose access to essential services and force patients to move long distances for care or go without. .
Medicaid, known in California as Medi-Cal, has historically received bipartisan support. A Navigator survey found that 81% of Americans, including the majority of both Democrats and Republicans, are opposed to Medicaid cuts.
Caregivers may force residents to wait until they get seriously ill to seek emergency care.
Bakersfield Contingent is one of several groups from California, heading to DC nationwide to oppose these healthcare cuts. The event is organized by a coalition of healthcare workers, patients and community members.
