Citizen Action holds ‘Hands Off Medicaid’ rally at UW-La Crosse

A rally calling on the federal government to keep its ‘Hands Off Medicaid’ brought about 100 people to the UW-La Crosse Student Union on Monday to protest some proposed budget cuts.

The event organized by Citizen Action of Wisconsin and area Democrats brought together legislators with people who get Medicaid and other assistance to help pay their health care expenses.

Citizen Action health care coordinator Timothy Faust was applauded when he told the audience that government leaders suggesting cuts in benefits should be stopped.

“People who control almost $100 trillion, which is 300 times the cost of the entire NASA moon program, want another $4.5 trillion more,” Faust said, “and Congress has decided that you, and you, and you, and me, are gonna pay for it.”

Faust added that more than a million Wisconsin residents are on Medicaid, which includes nearly 25% of those living in the 3rd US House District, which includes La Crosse County.

Bangor, Wis., native Dana Horstman told the audience she uses a wheelchair and said that after she received a spinal injury years ago, Medicaid helped her return to work.

“The social worker did come and help me fill out paperwork for Medicaid, because I didn’t have insurance,” she said. “So, yes, I did get the Medicaid to cover that surgery, or I would be in a dire situation, even 11 or 12 years later.”

Faust noted that surveys show that about 75 percent of Americans like receiving Medicaid.

Wisconsin state Assembly Reps. Steve Doyle (D-Onalaska) and Tara Johnson (D-Shelby), as well as state Sen. Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska) also spoke at the rally.