Kennedy Beaver, a 6-year-old from North Carolina, has been undergoing therapy sessions at least twice a week since her diagnosis with Noonan syndrome, a genetic condition that hampers her development. She is one of 600,000 individuals in the state who stand to lose access to essential healthcare services as Congress prepares to endorse significant cuts to Medicaid funding proposed in President Trump’s latest legislative agenda.
The Community Alternatives Program for Children (CAP/C) in North Carolina plays a crucial role in covering most treatments and medications for children under 20 with serious medical needs. The Beaver family has highlighted that without this program, they would face monthly expenses exceeding $4,000 for Kennedy’s care, even with private insurance.
“Without Medicaid coverage, our medication would cost $3,200 a month since our primary insurance denied us,” Marilyn stated, expressing their concerns over potentially having to ration Kennedy’s treatment if the proposed cuts are enacted. Jay Ludlam, Deputy Secretary of North Carolina Medicaid, emphasized that these suggested cuts at the federal level will inevitably impact the entire Medicaid program.
The state’s Medicaid framework currently offers benefits to over 3 million residents, and officials warn that reductions in federal funding could jeopardize programs like CAP/C. Ludlam remarked on the broad implications of a $700 billion cut to Medicaid nationwide, stressing that such drastic reductions would most likely lead to coverage loss and alterations to the benefits people receive.
If given the chance to address lawmakers directly, Marilyn expressed her desire for them to pursue health system reforms that improve access without compromising services. “It’s about fixing the healthcare system so that everyone in the country receives adequate care,” she concluded.