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Although my mother always worked hard, she was lucky, too. She and my dad were able to buy a farm, make improvements and pay the farm off in 25 years. They were able to raise 11 children to adulthood, get a few through college and helped others buy small businesses.

When my dad died, mom managed on one Social Security check and stayed in her home. But when she reached her nineties, she became forgetful and confused. So, what should we do? What was our red line to decide to move her to a nursing home? But then she fell and broke a hip, and clearly, she needed the round-the-clock care that a nursing home provided.

What would we have done if there were no nursing homes available to take her? This is the future facing us and our families if Medicaid (medical assistance) is cut.

The Trump administration is looking for the money to pay for the tax cuts for the wealthy. And devastating Medicaid cuts would provide that money. Medicaid covers 25% of Minnesotans. This includes 650,000 children, 125,000 people with disabilities and 78,000 seniors. These are our family members, neighbors and friends.

With cuts, nursing homes and clinics will close. Children will go without health care. Disabled people living in care facilities will have to find somewhere else to go. The state of Minnesota will be forced to choose between letting catastrophic cuts to go into effect, or raising taxes. Minnesota Sen. Jim Abeler, a Republican, has come out against these cuts. So have other Minnesota representatives of both parties.

We are not powerless. Here’s what you can do:

Join us for a “Hands Off Our Medicaid” Rally at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Central Park in Albert Lea. Our representatives need to see our opposition to cuts.

Contact Congressman Finstad (Ph 507-577-6140), Sen. Gene Dornink (651-296-5240) and Rep. Peggy Bennett (651-296-8216) and tell them to follow Sen. Abeler’s example. Ask them to represent us, and stop Medicaid cuts.

Mary Hinnenkamp
Albert Lea