Hands Off Medicaid! BadgerCare for All!

media release: On Saturday, May 31, at 9:30am, Wisconsinites from around the state will gather at the State Capitol, State Street Side, for a rally and die-in demonstration to demand:

Governor Evers: Veto any budget that doesn’t include Medicaid expansion!

No New Eligibility Requirements & Guarantee Continued Eligibility

Fight for State-level Single Payer: BadgerCare for All!

One in five Wisconsinites rely on BadgerCare and other Medicaid programs for life-saving healthcare. On May 22nd, House Republicans, including WI reps Derrick Van Orden and Brian Steil, voted for a bill that will cut over $700 billion in Medicaid funding and create new nationwide work requirements. If passed, this bill will cause 8 million working class Americans to lose their health insurance, including up to 83,000 Wisconsinites.

Wisconsin has an opportunity to protect WI Medicaid funding by opting in to Medicaid expansion – before it’s too late. This would mean a lump sum of nearly one billion dollars for WI Medicaid programs. Republicans in the legislature say they want to keep the status quo, but if Wisconsin doesn’t proactively protect people, tens of thousands of people will lose their coverage.

Patrick, a Madison-based caregiver, says, “In Wisconsin, we work hard to assure that everyone that needs Medicaid gets the healthcare they need. We do not need more oversight and we already avoid fraud, waste, and abuse. These changes to Medicaid will lead to errors, and will lead to people losing healthcare. They will lead to hospital closures, care shortages, and worse health outcomes. We pride ourselves on taking care of our people, and these changes are a huge step back from the standard we hold today.”

We are calling on our state to include Medicaid Expansion in the 2025-2026 state budget, and on our federal representatives to stop gutting this crucial piece of public infrastructure. We also know that’s not enough: We need a single-payer system that covers all essential healthcare — including abortion, birth control, and gender-affirming care — for everyone, regardless of income, ability, identity or employment.

Community members can show their support by showing up at 9:30am on Saturday May 31 at the State Street side of the Capitol, or by signing the petition at short.madison-dsa.org/hands-off. 

The rally was called by Madison Area Democratic Socialists of America in conjunction with the National Single Payer Day of Action. Co-sponsors include WI Fighting Oligarchy Coalition, WI Poor People’s Campaign, Our Wisconsin Revolution, Young Democrats of WI, Minocqua Brewing Company, Urban Triage, Family Farm Defenders, Community Pharmacy, Trans Resistance Action Committee, Community Pharmacy Coop, Indivisible Madison East, Families for Justice, Wisconsin Grassroots Network, Grassroots North Shore, and more.