Northeast Wisconsin residents rally to protect Medicaid, Congressman Wied pledges support
APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – Stacks of handwritten testimonies lined the tables at Wednesday's 'Protect Medicaid' rally in the Fox Cities, each sheet representing a local patient whose health and livelihood depend on the program.
'Each one of these papers represents the voice of a patient and someone who lives in the Fox Cities area,' said Trish Sarvela, chief development officer of Partnership Community Health Center. 'These are reasons and stories why people believe Medicaid is important because it changes their lives.'
Father of teen who killed teacher & student at Wisconsin school faces felony charges
Sarvela and other advocates warn that trimming benefits or imposing stricter eligibility requirements could have dire consequences for low-income residents, the disabled and senior citizens.
'For many, these benefits aren't optional — they're life-saving,' she added.
Among those sharing their stories was 88-year-old Peggy Skruch, a lifelong Wisconsinite on both Medicare and Medicaid.
'I'm on 25 pills a day,' Skruch said. 'If I didn't have my ForwardHealth, I wouldn't be able to afford the medication that's keeping me alive. And I want to reach my 100th birthday — Medicaid is helping me do that.'
Families like that of Aaron Depies also spoke out on behalf of loved ones who cannot advocate for themselves. Depies' seven-year-old stepdaughter is non-verbal and autistic, and relies on Medicaid for therapy and medical equipment.
'For us as a family, it would affect every aspect of our living if she were to get cut off completely,' he said.
Congressman Tony Wied (R-WI-08), who represents much of northeast Wisconsin, told reporters he opposes any budget that 'guts Medicaid.'
'We must do this to strengthen Medicaid for the most vulnerable Americans who truly depend on it,' he said, pledging to fight proposed reductions.
Two in Wisconsin arrested on drug charges after hotel employee discovers narcotics in room
Organizers plan to deliver the collected testimonies to state and federal offices in the coming weeks.
They're calling on all Medicaid enrollees and their supporters to contact their elected representatives and share their own stories before decisions are made.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What a Doctor wants you to know about Measles
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The South Dakota Department of Health has reported the state's first case of measles in 2025. A man in Meade County developed the infection after traveling internationally. The most common symptoms of measles start off much like a cold, a cough, a runny nose, and red watery eyes, called conjunctivitis. 'That is accompanied by a fever, which is often very high, up to 104 105 degrees. Several days after those symptoms start, 4 or 5 days, is when the characteristic measles rash usually pops up. It's bright red, it starts at the hairline and works its way down the body,' said Doctor Ashley Sands, an infectious disease expert. Remembering The Children Memorial sculpture honors those who lost their lives What makes measles so dangerous is that it can cause pneumonia and encephalitis, which can be fatal. Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases known to man. To give you an idea of how contagious measles is, if someone in this room had coughed an hour ago. And if I walk through that airspace, I could become infected if I'm not vaccinated. Dr. Sands says the measles vaccine is very safe and very effective, and has been around since the 1960s. 'We know that with the first dose of measles given around one year of age, that confers around 93 percent immunity, meaning that of 100 people who receive the measles vaccine, 93 will be fully protected for the rest of their lives,' said Dr. Sands. Most people are vaccinated at 12 months old and receive a second dose at age second dose raises a person's protection from 93 percent to 97 in the rare case of a vaccinated person becoming infected, she says the infection is much less severe and contagious. If you are unsure if you were vaccinated as a child, doctors suggest talking with your can also check with your doctor or request your immunization records from the South Dakota Department of Health. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Eastern NC preparing a hurricane season officially underway
CARTERET COUNTY, N.C. (WNCT) — Hurricane season has begun and meteorologists with the National Weather Service are anticipating an active year. Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the National Weather Service Erik Heden stressed how long the season is and how important it is to be prepared early. Heden said the category of a hurricane should also not determine how well you prepare or how seriously you take a storm since it only relates to wind. He said 85 percent of hurricane-related deaths are due to water. 'During Florence, we also learned that we had a whole lot more flooding in areas that we've never had flooding before,' Carteret County Emergency Services Director Stephen Rea said. 'It's the whole county that's vulnerable.' Rea said it's important to have a weeks' worth of supplies in a hurricane preparedness kit including food, water, batteries and a weather radio. It's also important to have a strong evacuation plan. 'A shelter is a safe place, but it should be your last resort. It's not a hotel. It's not going to be a comfortable location,' Heden said. 'Try to go to a hotel either out of state or out of the area or all the people that come and visit you at the beach? Go visit them.' The National Weather Service is hosting a hurricane community forum at the Pine Knoll Shores Town Hall June 17th at 10 a.m. You can register here. Learn more about Carteret County's emergency preparedness here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sioux Falls ramps up mosquito control
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — You may have noticed as the weather warms up, more mosquitoes are starting to show up, especially with all the rain we've been getting lately. That's why the city of Sioux Falls will soon ramp up its efforts to get the pesky insects under control. Todd Dickens likes to ride the city's bike trails, but what he doesn't like are mosquitoes. Thankfully, he says he hasn't had to worry about them yet. 1 dead in Monday I-90 crash 'Haven't had any problems with them, so I haven't really noticed them too much,' Dickens said. But the city is anticipating that'll change. 'We only need a couple of really warm days with the spring water we've been getting we could see that real big increase in the mosquito population,' Public Health Program Manager Jaimiee Roggenbauer said. Jaimiee Roggenbauer is the Public Health Program Manager. She says the city starts addressing the mosquito problem before it even happens. 'We go into the stagnant water around the city and we do what's called 'dipping' we look for larva before they are an adult mosquito and if we see it or suspect there's going to be larva in there we treat it on the spot and that prevents our adult mosquitoes from ever bothering anybody,' Roggenbauer said. They've also set up several mosquito traps around the city to test for West Nile. 'Those are going to start happening in late June or early July and we'll see them more at dawn and dusk and those are the ones that can give you West Nile if they bite you,' Roggenbauer said. They'll start spraying neighborhoods within the next couple of weeks, because it's only a matter of time. 'Well, with the recent rain, I could see that and as the temperatures get warmer, it's going to cause them to come out more, yeah, I could see that happening,' Dickens said. Roggenbauer says Sioux Falls has one of the highest numbers of West Nile cases per capita in the country. To learn more about the city's efforts for spraying or to get updates on your phone on which zones they'll be spraying in and when, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
