Today, Colorado advocates with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) delivered over 200 postcards signed by constituents to Rep. Gabe Evans’ district office in Northglenn, urging him to protect Medicaid by opposing any cuts to the program. The postcards highlighted how looming cuts to Medicaid would harm millions of Coloradans, including working families, cancer patients and survivors, pregnant women, people with disabilities, seniors, veterans and children.
Federal lawmakers are considering a bill that includes deep cuts to Medicaid. Such devastating cuts would put essential health services at risk for millions of people nationwide and for the more than 1.2 million children and adults in Colorado who rely on Medicaid for lifesaving health care -- including prenatal care for pregnant mothers, prescriptions for limited-income seniors, well-child visits for small children, and cancer screenings.
In Rep. Evans’ district alone, more than 230,500 people are enrolled in Medicaid. Over 1,000 of them have a history of cancer and likely need ongoing monitoring, treatment and screening.
“Cuts to Medicaid would be devastating for a vast number of children and adults in our district,” said Kitti Walkup-Birkhead, ACS CAN lead volunteer and CD-8 resident. “During the 2024 campaign, Rep. Evans signed ACS CAN’s ‘Cancer Promise’ pledging to support evidence-based public policy solutions to end cancer as we know it. With 29% of his district relying on Medicaid and 1 in 3 children with a cancer diagnosis relying on Medicaid to cover costly treatments, survivors, patients, and their loved ones are depending on Rep. Evans to follow through with his promise and protect his constituents by opposing any cuts to Medicaid.”
Tomorrow, ACS CAN is staging a digital takeover nationwide, including in Colorado, calling on Congress to protect Medicaid. The House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, which Rep. Evans is a member of, will be voting Tuesday on proposed cuts to Medicaid. In response, ACS CAN volunteers, including cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers are taking to social media to show lawmakers how detrimental cuts would be to Coloradans. The social media Day of Action coincides with the nationwide launch of a new ad titled, “Cuts Have Consequences.” The ad makes clear that slashing Medicaid will shorten cancer patients’ lives and advocates in Colorado won’t stand for it.