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Wisconsin News You Can Use

WATCH: ‘I’m Josha.’ Why Medicaid is a lifeline for this WI family

By Salina Heller

October 21, 2025

“Expendable.”

In Milwaukee County, Rachel Crites says it’s a “sick reality” that her family feels. “The Trump administration considers disabled people and the lives of Medicaid participants to be just that.”

In the wake of President Trump cutting nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid over the next 10 years, Rachel worries for her family and others with disabilities. She says Medicaid is a lifeline—her son is autistic.

Nearly 2 million autistic people use Medicaid in the country. Without the services it provides, waitlists grow longer, families are left to fill the gap, and institutional care may become the only option.

Rachel says cuts to Medicaid would be devastating—Medicaid isn’t optional; it’s essential.

✏️: Salina Heller

Author

  • Salina Heller

    A former 15-year veteran of reporting local news for western Wisconsin TV and radio stations, Salina Heller also volunteers in community theater, helps organize the Chippewa Valley Air Show, and is kept busy by her daughter’s elementary school PTA meetings. She is a UW-Eau Claire alum.

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CATEGORIES: Politics Video

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