How Cutting Medicaid Affects Women and Children

How Cutting Medicaid Affects Women

On Tuesday, House Republicans came together behind their budget plan, voting to defund Medicaid, SNAP, and social safety nets.

The resolution was approved by the House 217 to 213, with one Republican voting against it along with all Democrats, handing a big victory to House Speaker Mike Johnson and President Donald Trump.

The budget resolution proposes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and $1.5 trillion in spending cutbacks. It was criticized by far-right politicians who felt the spending cutbacks were too minor, as well as moderate Republicans who said they were too big.

As Democrats vow to fight this and encourage worried Americans to do the same, many wonder how cutting Medicaid would affect them specifically.

Medicaid serves as a lifeline for millions of working Americans, especially women and children, who rely on it for essential healthcare services. However, proposed cuts to Medicaid threaten to push an already vulnerable population further into financial and medical instability. Women, who make up more than 18 million of Medicaid recipients, stand to suffer the most. These women are workers, caregivers, single parents, students in school, or have chronic illnesses that limit their ability to work. If policymakers move forward with reducing Medicaid funding, the effects will be felt across households, workplaces, and entire communities.

The program also covers a significant portion of pregnant women, mothers, seniors, and those with disabilities. For many working women—especially those in service industries, childcare, or part-time jobs—employer-sponsored healthcare is either unavailable or too expensive. Medicaid bridges this gap, allowing women to access preventative care, maternity services, mental health treatment, and essential medications. Cutting Medicaid funding would force many to go without necessary care, which would lead to worsening health outcomes and increased medical debt.

One of the most alarming consequences of Medicaid cuts is the threat to maternal and reproductive healthcare. Medicaid covers over 40 percent of all births in the U.S., ensuring that low-income women receive prenatal and postnatal care. Without this support, expectant mothers may delay or forgo critical medical visits. This would increase risks for both maternal and infant mortality. Additionally, Medicaid provides access to contraception, cancer screenings, and routine gynecological care, which are services that could become out of reach for millions of women if funding is reduced.

For working mothers, Medicaid is not just about their own health but also about keeping their children covered. Around 40 million children are enrolled in Medicaid. Many single mothers and low-income families rely on Medicaid to ensure their children receive vaccinations, wellness checkups, and emergency care. Without Medicaid, families will face impossible choices—paying rent or taking their sick child to the doctor. This strain disproportionately affects women, who are often the primary caregivers in their households.

Healthcare insecurity due to Medicaid cuts doesn’t just hurt individual families. It has broader economic consequences. When women are forced to leave the workforce due to untreated illnesses or caregiving responsibilities, employers lose valuable workers, productivity declines, and poverty rates increase. This, of course, drives families into financial ruin, further widening the gender and wealth gap. The long-term effects of cutting Medicaid will create more instability for working-class and middle-class women, making it even harder for them to achieve and continue financial independence.

Slashing Medicaid funding would be devastating to working women and their families. Instead of stripping resources from those who need them most, policymakers must find ways to expand access to healthcare, ensuring that working women can stay healthy, care for their families, and remain in the workforce. Cutting Medicaid isn’t just a policy decision—it’s a direct attack on the well-being of millions of American women.