Oh, SNAP! There Goes My Medicaid!
I’m sure by now that everyone has heard about Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” With all the applause it’s receiving from Republicans and MAGA, I have to wonder how many of them have actually read the bill or if they’re even aware of what’s actually in it.
What’s true is that it is a big bill. Close to 2000 pages. But it’s anything but beautiful. Especially for Americans whose annual incomes place them in the lower bracket, say by netting an annual salary of $40,000 or less. If that’s you, then you have nothing to be happy about. If you’re clapping now because you believe it’s chock full of benefits for the American people, you might want to hold the applause. In time, many Americans will be crying. And one of them just might be you.
Remember these campaign promises? “We’re not going to take away your Medicaid.” “We’re not going to take away your food stamps.” “We’re not going to touch Medicare.”
Every statement listed above was made by Donald Trump himself and by his Republican administration. But guess what? They ALL lied! Imagine that! They told you what they knew you wanted to hear just to garner your vote, hoping that you’d do what you naturally do. Take them at their word without conducting your own research or fact-checking their claims. You may be surprised to learn that the steps they’re preparing to take will result in devastation to millions of low-income, poor American citizens.
Recently, I’ve read numerous hateful and condescending comments on social media about the deep cuts that are scheduled that will desiccate Medicaid, snatching away health care from millions of American citizens. However, the gutting of Medicaid is only the beginning of a much more devious plan.
“Good. I’m tired of my tax dollars supporting lazy asses who refuse to work.” “It pisses me off that my tax dollars are providing insurance coverage to a bunch of welfare idiots who’d rather live off the government than make their own way.” “I don’t want my tax dollars paying for insurance for anyone who does nothing but sit home playing video games all day while I’m working my ass off and they’re enjoying the benefits of my hard work.” Those are only a few of the statements I read. There’s a ton more just like these, some even worse, and they’re posted all over Facebook and X.
Not only are these comments filled with acidic vitriol and unadulterated hatred, they’re also just plain out LIES!!!
If you’ve never applied for, or been the recipient of, any type of government assistance, then I completely understand why you’re not familiar with how the programs work and the qualifications needed to benefit from them. I don’t fault you for not knowing, not completely anyway. You’re a victim of misrepresentation and deception, mistruths that were brought to you by extremists looking for a means to justify their blatant cruelty against citizens whose only crime is being at or below the poverty level.
So, I decided to assist you by debunking the outright lies that you’ve been led to believe are true. After reading this article, if you still don’t believe the facts that have been disclosed to you, then my advice is that you take a few minutes of your time and do your own fact-checking. It’s as easy as 1-2-3. Why? Because if you have a computer and an Internet connection, then the world is literally at your fingertips. Seriously. It really is that easy. All it takes is for you to enter a few keystrokes and check out the recorded information for yourself.
In the meantime, let me see if I can clear up a few things to get you started.
MYTH: Anyone can come into this country (the USA) and get food stamps, welfare, and Medicaid.
FALSE. Contrary to what you’ve been led to believe, illegal and undocumented immigrants are NOT eligible to receive SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). SNAP is a federal program, and federal law prohibits undocumented immigrants from receiving federal benefits, although certain factors may apply based on specific immigration status. Such as refugees, asylees, parolees, and victims of human trafficking. Other factors may include the fact that they’re awaiting citizenship court hearings after applying for legal status. (If you’re not familiar with how long and costly the process is for becoming a naturalized citizen, then I highly recommend that you visit the INS website and educate yourself!)
MYTH: The only people that get all these government benefits are the illegals, the blacks, and the lazy people who want to live off my hard work and tax dollars.
FALSE. Analytical data proves that there are more working WHITE people who receive these benefits than any other race or ethnicity. Furthermore, the largest majority of them live in RED STATES. It has been proven time and again that the poorest states in the country are RED.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the top ranking poorest states are: New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, New York, West Virginia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Puerto Rico is also included.
Blue states account for about 71% of America’s GDP (Gross Daily Product), whereas red states only produce 29% of our income and wealth.
Median family income in blue states averages around $74,243 annually. Red states – $63,553. Highlighting the disparity of median family income is New Jersey at $89,703, and Mississippi at $49,111. Statistics show that residents in blue states live 2.2 years longer, on average, than residents of red states.
My question to you is this. If you know that a vote for a Republican is a vote against yourself, why do you keep the cycle going?
It’s undeniably true, and documented, that Republican controlled red states, almost across the board, have higher rates of:
- Spousal abuse
- Obesity
- Smoking
- Teen pregnancy
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Abortions (before the Dobbs decision. Now they’ll be forced births)
- Bankruptcies and poverty
- Homicide and suicide
- Infant mortality
- Forcible rape
- Robbery and aggravated assault
- High school dropouts
- Divorce
- Contaminated air and water
- Opiate addictions and death
- Unskilled workers
- Parasitic infections
- Income and wealth inequality
- COVID deaths and unvaccinated people
- Federal subsidies to state (Also known as Red State Welfare)
- People on welfare
- Child poverty
- Homelessness
- Spousal murder
- Unemployment
- Deaths from auto accidents
- People living on disability
- Gun deaths
Regardless of skin color, religion, ethnicity, or sexual preferences, the TRUTH is that there are millions of working Americans who rely on SNAP benefits to feed their families. There are married couples, both of whom work full-time jobs, who simply do not make enough money to pay rent, utilities, daycare, medical bills, and still have money left over to feed their children. The myth that only lazy, non-working people receive food stamps is just that. A MYTH. More accurately, a LIE!
MYTH: Only the unemployed and welfare recipients are eligible to receive Medicaid.
FALSE. Medicaid is a joint federal-state program that provides health coverage to a diverse population, including children, pregnant women, adults, individuals with disabilities, and seniors. While eligibility and benefits vary state by state, key demographic features of Medicaid beneficiaries include children, adults (including parents and non-parents), people with disabilities, and seniors. A significant portion of Medicaid enrollees are also from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds, and a higher proportion reside in rural areas compared to the general population.
Here are some key demographic features of Medicaid recipients.
- Age – Children under 19 make up a significant portion of Medicaid beneficiaries and are also a large share of CHiP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) enrollees. Adults, including those with disabilities and seniors are also covered under Medicaid.
- Income – Medicaid provides coverage to individuals and families with limited income, with eligibility limits set by states within federal guidelines.
- Race and Ethnicity – A larger share of Medicaid/CHiP enrollees are Hispanic and Black, while fewer are non-Hispanic White. Children are particularly diverse, with a high percentage from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds.
- Residence – Medicaid enrollees are slightly more likely to live in rural areas compared to the general population.
- Language – Over 10% of Medicaid/CHiP enrollees have a primary language other than English.
- Disability – Individuals with disabilities are a significant portion of Medicaid beneficiaries, and their needs are often addressed through long-term services and support.
- Dual Eligibles – Individuals who are eligible for Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligibles) represent a significant portion of the Medicaid population, particularly among older adults and those with disabilities.
There are numerous and various reasons why millions of Americans opt for insurance coverage under the Medicaid program. Many of them work full-time jobs. One reason could be that their employer doesn’t offer medical insurance, or they do offer it but the premiums are too high for the individual to pay. The same can be said for private insurance. Many of these people barely get by on their salaries, making it impossible for them to secure private insurance. These people are not degenerates. They’re not lazy bums. They’re poor or poverty stricken with medical needs that deserve to be addressed and tended to just like everyone else.
Work status already applies to Medicaid recipients, but that “big, beautiful bill” is stiffening the work requirements, which will make it extremely difficult, or impossible, for enrollees to be approved for the program.
MYTH: Anyone can get welfare and as long as the government keeps giving it to them, they’ll keep taking it and never get a job.
FALSE. This may come as a surprise to you, but receiving a welfare check isn’t as easy as you might think. The government doesn’t just hand them out like they’re putting candy in a trick-or-treat bag. There are requirements. Tons of them. Eligibility requirements vary state by state. Since I reside in Indiana, I’ll use it as a reference.
To qualify for welfare in the state of Indiana, applicants must meet certain requirements, including financial and non-financial criteria. These include demonstrating that their household income falls below the federal poverty level (FPL), meeting residency requirements, and fulfilling work-related obligations like registering for work. Additionally, individuals must be U.S. citizens or meet specific immigration status requirements.
Financial Requirements:
- Income Limits – Applicants must prove their annual income falls below the FPL. For example, a family of two must have an income below $21,150 (in 2025).
- Asset Limits – Household assets, such as bank accounts and cash, must be below a certain limit, which varies depending on the specific program and household composition.
- Gross Income – Gross monthly income (before deductions) must generally be at or below 130% of the poverty line.
Non-Financial Requirements:
- Residency – Applicants must be residents of the state where they are applying.
- Citizenship/Immigration Status – U.S. Citizens and permanent residents are generally eligible, with some exceptions for certain immigrant groups.
- Work Requirements – Individuals may need to register for work, participate in job training programs, and take a suitable job if offered.
- Child Support Assignment – Applicants may need to assign child support payments.
Now that you know the basics, let’s talk about that “big, beautiful bill” and what it will do to the poorest people in the country.
There is a $750 BILLION dollar cut to Medicaid, which will result in approximately 14 MILLION Americans losing their healthcare coverage with no alternative to take its place. Sadly, the damage this will do extends even further. Medicaid is the primary payer for 63% of nursing home residents across the country. Without Medicaid to cover the cost of care, nursing homes will close down. What will happen to their patients? Where will they go? Some of these patients need round-the-clock care. Loss of Medicaid will result in patients not receiving life-saving medicines and/or procedures. Children with cancer will no longer receive radiation or chemotherapy. Senior citizens will die. Women will succumb to pregnancy complications because they won’t be able to receive the care they need to save their lives and those of their infants. The loss of their insurance coverage will be devastating, and deadly. Are you seriously okay with this?
This “big, beautiful bill” includes significant cuts to SNAP, a program that millions of working Americans depend on to feed their families. With the proposed cuts, some will either suffer a significant decrease in their monthly allotment or lose their benefits altogether, while others will no longer qualify to receive them at all.
Although we have repeatedly heard Trump and his administrative team vow to NEVER TOUCH MEDICARE, this was simply one more HUGE LIE. Proposed cuts to Medicare are included in the “big, beautiful bill,” although the extent of those cuts remains to be seen. But trust me, they ARE coming. Also on the chopping block is Social Security. Significant cuts or total annihilation are only a pen stroke away.
My final question to you is this. Do you understand WHY all of these cuts are being made to government assistance programs? Do you KNOW why? What Trump and Elon Musk want you to believe is that cuts were made to these programs to weed out “waste, fraud, and abuse.” Like everything else they’ve said, this is a LIE!!!
Elon sliced and diced his way through our government without a lick of knowledge about what he was doing or the harm he was causing. Not because there was any waste, fraud, or abuse. But because he was tasked with cutting chunks of money from these programs to accumulate the $7 TRILLION dollars…yes, with a T, that’s needed to cover promised tax breaks for the already filthy rich. The same ones who NEVER pay taxes. The same ones who’ve caved to Trump’s ridiculous threats. They trampled all over the poor in order to give more to the rich. To Zuckerberg, Bezos, Musk, and others just like them. Sort of a Robin Hood in reverse sort of deal. Take from the poor to give to the rich, and the poor be damned.
Honestly, I can’t understand why anyone would be okay with any of this. Why anyone would accept hurting millions of innocent people all in the name of wealth enrichment. And if you have no problem with any of this, if it doesn’t bother you to know how badly they’re hurting your fellow citizens, then you seriously need to reevaluate your morals and ethics.
Because I am NOT okay with any of it. Not with taking insurance away from the poor. Not with taking food out of a child’s mouth. Not with throwing the sick and elderly to the curb.
The bottom line is this. It shouldn’t have to affect you directly for you to care. All you need to be is a decent human being to know that NONE of this should be acceptable. By anyone.
GNP
References:
Glenda Norwood Petz, Author 