Nevada Faces Severe Medicaid, SNAP Cuts Due to New Budget Bill

In a significant upheaval, Nevadans dependent on Medicaid, food assistance, and other vital programs are bracing for challenging times. The enactment of the "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act" by Congress has sparked concerns about its impact on vulnerable individuals and the state’s budget.

Last week, members of AFSCME Local 4041, along with local advocates and officials, gathered to discuss the ramifications of the new legislation. The state anticipates substantial reductions in Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which are essential for low-income residents requiring healthcare and food support. Federal funding constitutes more than 27% of Nevada's revenue, prominently from Medicaid.

As AFSCME members highlighted, the cuts to these critical services are intended to fund a historic tax break for billionaires. This could jeopardize healthcare for more than 95,271 Nevadans and cut food benefits for 109,000 more.

Yolanda Kemp, a family support specialist, remarked, “Every day, I help working families figure out how they're going to make it through another day. And every single time someone qualifies, you can see the relief light up in their face. Even if it's just a little support, it can help families make up for what they can't cover with their jobs.”

Benita Lopez, a social worker with the Home and Community Based Services Program, expressed her concerns: "The cuts to Medicaid in the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will directly impact elderly Nevadans and their families that rely on these essential services. Because Congress chose to cut more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and health care, they should have called the bill ‘Bodies Benefitting Billionaires’ because people will die. It’s that simple.”

Lopez further added, “Supporters of these cuts to Medicaid keep saying they want to cut waste and fraud, but what they really mean is people. These cuts are the difference between life and death for the people who need these essential programs.”

Beyond healthcare, AFSCME members noted the threat to thousands of jobs in Nevada due to this legislation. Maria Jacobi, a developmental specialist, stated, "When Medicaid cuts hit our communities, these cuts threaten our jobs as public employees. And if public service jobs are cut, not only will the families we work with lose much needed services, but they will also lose advocates like me who help them navigate the complex web of available resources.”

Members of AFSCME are actively opposing the cuts introduced by this bill, which coincidentally was signed on Independence Day. Jacobi emphasized, “Cutting public services to give billionaires tax cuts is so anti-American. That’s not what we are about as public employees, and that’s not what we are about as AFSCME members.” She called on fellow union members to join in the advocacy efforts.

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