Community members protest against Medicaid cuts at the Oregon State Capitol, in Salem, Ore., on April 16. Abigail Dollins / Statesman Journal via USA Today Network file
Republicans are rallying around work requirements and stricter eligibility screenings for Medicaid. Doctors and critics warn they could strip away coverage for rightful enrollees.
May 13, 2025, 7:07 PM EDT By Berkeley Lovelace Jr. and Sahil Kapur
Melannie Bachman, 39, of Charleston, South Carolina, is among the patients closely watching the sweeping Republican bill to overhaul Medicaid that’s been brought to the House. She was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer — an aggressive and difficult-to-treat form of the disease — in 2021. She said she had to apply for Medicaid multiple times and wasn’t approved until four months later, which meant she had to pay for multiple screenings while waiting.
Bachman no longer qualifies for Medicaid because she’s cancer-free. But she worries that the proposed revisions could make it harder for her or others in similar situations to get covered again, or even cause them to give up on the process altogether.
Bachman is still within five years of her diagnosis, and her doctors tell her that it’s essential for her to continue being monitored in case the cancer returns.
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