Rensselaer County group urges action on potential Medicaid cuts

RENSSELAER, N.Y. (WRGB) — Concerns over potential Medicaid cuts have prompted a local advocacy group to call for action from the Rensselaer County legislature. The Rensselaer County Women for Change is urging the county to develop a plan to support citizens in the event of such cuts.

"This isn't left or right, this isn't blue or red, this is about empathy or no empathy," said one member.

"These cuts and Medicaid are coming down the pike, we see them. You can't ignore them. It's like a tsunami or lava. It's their coming, so we need to talk about what we're going to do about I,t to simply pretending it's not happening doesn't make any sense," said Bridget Ball, communications director of The Rensselaer County Women for Change

Speakers at the meeting highlighted the importance of Medicaid for themselves, their neighbors, and those unable to afford private healthcare. Ball emphasized, "Medicaid, as you know, helps her most vulnerable people are elderly or children. Are people with learning or developmental disabilities, and they're an awfully easy group to ignore when things get tough."

The group expressed a desire to be involved in forming a contingency plan. Peter Grimm, the minority leader of the Rensselaer County legislature, agreed on the necessity of a plan.

"This is almost an emergency at this point, and you know what we're gonna do, ring our hands out when it happens," said Grimm. "I think as responsible leaders of the community, we should be sitting down. We should be having conversations that bring both sides of the aisle together, and as the people spoke tonight, it should be incorporated the community into those conversations as well."

CBS6 reached out to County Executive Steve McLaughlin for comment but did not receive a response. Meanwhile, the Rensselaer County Women for Change vowed to continue advocating for action.