Speakers warn proposed Medicaid cuts would put thousands of St. Mary's County residents at risk

Diana Diggins, a Leonardtown resident, told the Board of County Commissioners during the public forum that cuts to Medicaid would cause severe local hardship, including loss of nursing-home placements and unpaid caregiving burdens. "If Medicaid were to be cut tomorrow, not only would my mother be out of a nursing home, and the nursing home would most likely close, I would have to bring her home, quit my job, and ultimately become destitute," Diggins said. Diggins provided county-level figures during her remarks: she said 16 percent of the county's population is age 65 or older and that 8.9 percent of those residents rely on Medicaid; she estimated roughly 10,235 people rely on Medicaid, about 13,000 receive SNAP benefits, and roughly 1,000 disabled Medicaid recipients, for a combined total she cited as about 24,000 people of an approximate county population of 115,000. Why it matters: speakers argued that cuts to federal Medicaid eligibility or funding could shift care burdens to families and local services and could threaten existing long-term-care providers. Commenters asked the county to assess local consequences and to communicate with state and federal representatives. At the public forum the commissioners did not take any formal action; county staff indicated that directors would follow up and provide written information to speakers. Ending: Speakers urged county officials to plan for increased local needs and to coordinate with state officials if federal changes occur.