Read the full article by Macy Yang at Hmong Daily News
It will become harder for millions of people who rely on Medicare and Medicaid to stay covered after passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The legislation, officially known as House Resolution 1, was signed into law on July 4 as a tax measure aimed at reducing government spending, including funding for health-related programs like Medicare and Medicaid. The act is estimated to save $1 trillion in health care costs over the next decade, but its impact on low-income families, particularly immigrants will be especially detrimental.
“We need some love and compassion,” Mai Vang, a Sacramento resident, said. Vang is worried about how the act will impact her access to health care. She came to the U.S. as a refugee in 1992 following the withdrawal of the U.S. military forces from the Secret War in Laos. She was already in her 20s and had four children.
With no formal education, Vang spent two decades working on an electronic production line before she was diagnosed with a heart condition and kidney failure. Following several years of dialysis treatment, she underwent a successful kidney transplant in 2023 that was critical to her continued health. Vang got a second chance, she said, but the ongoing health complications left her unable to return to the job she once relied on to support her family.