Yesterday, I heard the story of a woman retiree recently diagnosed with cancer whose neighbors formed a group to get her to and from her chemo treatments and have also begun fundraising to help her cover the costs of her medical deductibles. It is a heart-warming story of neighbors helping neighbors. And yet, it is also a heart-wrenching story that illustrates the state of our medical care system.

Present government leadership has chosen not to do the hard work of re-tooling and making our medical care systems more affordable. Instead, they have elected to strip coverage away from people who are in dire need and push them closer to medical bankruptcy and poor medical outcomes. As of 2025, 28 million people – roughly 8.3% of our population were uninsured; this number is growing and anticipated to rise steeply in 2027.

Why is this happening? Policy changes coupled with provisions of legislation passed in 2025 (OBBBA) are driving people out of insurance coverage. Roughly 2.6 million people lost ACA coverage in 2025 when subsidies were allowed to lapse and another 4.8 million dropped out of Medicaid coverage through April 2026 with more to come. Closer to home in Bucks County, combined ACA and Medicaid coverage losses will be highest in Lower Bucks which may also force medical institutions onto shaky financial ground. No part of Bucks County will be unaffected.

I have found this issue particularly disheartening – that we attempt to balance the books on the backs of the most vulnerable while unconscionable amounts of money are spent on a ballroom, gold accouterments, luxury aircraft, and an ill-conceived war of choice. We have truly lost our way.

A powerful broom will be necessary to sweep our house clean. Every one of us will need to stand and deliver in November and in Novembers to come.

*****

Kevin Deeny

This was originally published in the Bucks County Herald on 8/27/2026