COON VALLEY, Wis. – According Coon Valley resident and former Library Director Chelsey Myhre-Foster, nearly 40 people gathered at the Knutson Memorial Library on Feb. 20 to discuss the importance of Medicaid in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District and express their concern about proposed cuts to benefits. Congressman Van Orden (R-Prairie du Chien) did not attend the meeting, but a staffer, Mary Carney Ganley met with the group.
Myhre-Foster said the meeting was organized with less than 48 hours’ notice, and demonstrates the critical role Medicaid plays in the lives of people with disabilities, families, seniors, and working adults across the region. According to the Associated Press Republicans are weighing billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid, threatening health care coverage for some of the 80 million U.S. adults and children enrolled in the safety net program.
Local families and individuals came forward to share their personal experiences with Medicaid programs, including BadgerCare, Family Care, the Katie Beckett Program, the Children’s Long-Term Support Waiver, MAPP, IRIS, and Comprehensive Community Services.
“It’s not only the individual accessing Medicaid who is impacted,” said Chelsey Myhre-Foster, who is a parent of a child with disabilities. “For some working families, parents would be forced to leave their jobs—and lose that income—if Medicaid community supports are cut.”
Participants spoke about the essential services Medicaid provides, including home-based support for people with disabilities, access to healthcare for low-income families, and vital resources for children with complex medical needs. They emphasized that Medicaid not only improves quality of life but also reduces the need for costly emergency care and nursing home placements, ultimately saving taxpayers money.
Parents, caregivers, and people with disabilities shared their firsthand experiences. Some attendees brought homemade signs opposing Medicaid cuts, and several children attended with their parents, underscoring the intergenerational impact of these programs.
“Medicaid is a great return on investment for Wisconsin,” Myhre-Foster added. “It keeps people with disabilities and older adults where they want to be: at home with their families.”
Myhre-Foster said she has worked in Medicaid-supported roles as a Certified Nursing Assistant, Home Health Care Provider, Certified Peer Specialist, and Certified Parent Peer Specialist, and she highlighted both the professional and personal significance of Medicaid in Wisconsin’s workforce and healthcare system.
Attendees expressed gratitude for the opportunity to share their stories directly with Van Orden’s office and hope that their voices will influence policy decisions. The overwhelming turnout, especially with such short notice, demonstrated how deeply this issue resonates in rural communities like Coon Valley.
The meeting concluded with a collective call to action: to ensure that Congressional representatives understand the real-life impact of Medicaid and to advocate against proposed cuts that could endanger the health and financial stability of thousands of Wisconsinites.
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