NEWS: Senator Baldwin Announces Stage 4 Cancer Patient Who Relies on Medicaid as Guest for State of the Union

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) announced that Milwaukee constituent Renee Scherck-Meyer will be her guest at this year’s State of the Union address on Tuesday. Renee has incurable stage 4 breast cancer that has metastasized to her brain, lungs, and liver. Renee relies on Medicaid for her treatment, and without it, she would be forced to ration or forego cancer treatment, hastening her death, or increasing her risk of bankruptcy trying to afford treatment to stay alive.

“Republicans are planning to rip away health care from more than one million Wisconsinites on Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for billionaires,” said Senator Baldwin. “While it’s one thing to cite numbers and statistics about those who will be impacted by these cuts to Medicaid, it’s another thing to put a face and name to one of them. That’s why I am honored to bring Renee, a Wisconsinite who is petrified that her Medicaid coverage might be ripped out from under her, as my guest to this year’s State of the Union. As Renee bravely battles cancer, the absolute last thing she should be focused on is whether she’ll have to ration or forego care because of Medicaid cuts. But that’s the reality she – and so many others – are facing. I’m proud to share Renee’s story and fight against cuts to the health care program that so many Wisconsinites rely on and, in Renee’s case, need to stay alive.”

Republicans are planning deep cuts to Medicaid that will jeopardize the coverage of 72 million Americans, or 1 in 5 people living in the United States who use Medicaid. This includes nearly half of all children, 31.5 million, over 8.3 million seniors, and around 15 million people with disabilities. Medicaid also pays for 6 out of 10 residents in nursing homes, with 5.6 million Americans counting on Medicaid for their long-term care bills and Medicaid paying for over half of long-term care in the United States. Severe cuts to Medicaid will also jeopardize rural hospitals and clinics’ ability to keep their doors open. Over 12 million rural Americans rely on Medicaid for health care.

In Wisconsin, over 1.2 million are enrolled in Medicaid. About 1 in 3 children in both Wisconsin’s rural and metro communities have Medicaid coverage. More than 300,000 kids under age 19 are members of BadgerCare Plus or another Wisconsin Medicaid program.

###