Philadelphia, PA – May 19, 2025 – Last week, Senator Vincent Hughes, president of the Senate of Democratic credits, held a round table at the Baptiste of Eon Tabernacle church with legislators and health leaders to discuss how the black Pennsylvanians could be affected by proposed health insurance cuts which were proposed by the Republicans of Congress. It was the second Hughes round table senator organized in the last monthTo bring together decision -makers and stakeholders to determine how health ecosystem and federal health residents may have an impact on the Pennsylvania health ecosystem.
“We must be informed, we must be educated and we must be brutally honest on what these federal cuts could mean for the black community”, ” said senator Hughes.
In Pennsylvania, around 3 million people – nearly 1 of the Pennsylvanians out of 4 – are covered by Medicaid and Chip. Almost 20% of these Pennsylvanians on Medicaid are black. And all Americans have benefited from the provisions of the affordable care law that makes health insurance accessible and less expensive.
Senator Hughes explained, “We must have a voice in this conversation. We are the mains and founders of the expansion in health Insurance- It was president obama who made the affordable care act happened. And i, along with senators haywood and street and our democratic colleagues, led the effort in harrisburg to fully expand Pennsylvania.
The news announced last week that the Republicans progressed with their Medicaid reduction plan by implementing the work requirements and a more complicated process for recipients in order to verify their eligibility. THE Estimates from the Budget Office of the Non -Sample Congress MEDICAIDI’s republican discounts would lead 10.3 million people to lose coverage under Medicaid and 7.6 million people without insurance.
“Often Medicaid is stigmatized, but the reality is that these care is necessary and that it supports our communities. We have the right to health. ” said Danielle Brooks, Director of Quality Health Equity, Amerihealth Caritas. “These proposed cuts have the potential to worsen access and affordability. We must make sure that we are able to offer quality health services to all stages of a person’s life. ”
Since this morning, The cuts adopted the budget committee of the Congress Chamber. According to Reuters, a possible vote on adoption in the House of Representatives could take place later this week.
Senator Art Haywood said“We have not yet lost. There is a fight in which we have to engage, and this conversation will help us in this fight. We cannot go before the end of the fight.”
A complete video of the round table is available online. Participants in the round table included:
- Senator Vincent Hughes, president of the Democrats of the Senate
- Senator Art Haywood, president of the health and social services committee
- Senator Sharif Street, president of the banking and insurance committee
- Devon Trolley, executive director of Pennie
- Reverend Alyn Waller, principal pastor, Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church
- The Reverend Leroy Miles, Pasteur Associé or Pastoral and Advice, Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church
- Health of Health and Defenders
- Dr Argie Allen-Wilson, co-founder and clinical director-Mental Health First Connects Inc
- Donna Bailey, CEO of Community Behavioral Health
- Dr Denise Baker, pediatrician, Jefferson Health
- Jim Baker, president of Mayor’s Drug and Alcohol Commission, interim president of the Hospital and Higher Education Facilities Authority, and member of the board of directors of directors of the Eagleville hospital
- Dr Cheryl Bettigole, Professor, Family Clinical Medicine and Community Health, Perelman School of Medicine
- Farida Boyer, Executive and Co-founder, Black Brain Campaign Association
- Ayana Bradshaw, president and chief executive
- Danielle Brooks, Director of Quality Health Equity, Amerihealth Caritas
- Dionne Gary, President, District 1199c Nuhhce
- Katherine Levins, vice-president of public policies and government affairs, Temple Health
- Dr Michael Luke, Pediatric Hospital Medicine Stock Exchange, Philadelphia Children’s Hospital
- Dr Priscilla Mpasi, national vice-president Emerita, national medical association student
- Dr Ala Stanford, founder of Black Doctors Consortium, Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, former regional director of HHS
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