As Medicaid Turns 60, Immigrant and BIPOC Communities Face an Uncertain Future

July 30 marks the 60th anniversary of Medicaid, a program that, since 1965, has provided critical healthcare coverage to millions of people in the U.S. It was created as a promise: that no one should be denied medical care because of their income, background, or zip code. But as we mark this milestone, that promise is in jeopardy, especially for immigrant, BIPOC, and rural communities who rely on Medicaid the most.

Legislation that included deep cuts to Medicaid was signed into law by the president as part of a broader budget package. While many of these cuts won’t take effect until 2027, their impact will be devastating. These changes will severely limit access to coverage for millions, particularly those already living at the margins.

Medicaid is more than a public program. For many, it is the only way to see a doctor, receive prenatal care, or access family planning. It’s the largest payer of reproductive healthcare in the United States, covering 42% of all births and more than 75% of publicly funded family planning services. For people in rural areas or healthcare deserts, Medicaid is the last lifeline.

And yet, it’s being chipped away.

Medicaid is turning 60. Instead of weakening it, we should be strengthening its reach and renewing its purpose for the next generation.

In rural America, where nearly 50% of pregnant people rely on Medicaid and OB-GYNs are increasingly hard to find, any change in funding can be catastrophic. Patients already drive hundreds of miles for basic services—cancer screenings, contraception, abortion care. Add new hurdles to coverage, and these journeys become impossible for many.

These cuts won’t just affect undocumented immigrants. Immigrant families, including many with U.S. citizen children, will be among the hardest hit. Years of anti-immigrant policies have already led to fear and confusion about accessing public benefits. Now, eligibility restrictions and additional red tape will create further barriers for families in need of prenatal, postpartum, or emergency care.

At the Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project (WRRAP), we are already seeing the strain. We work with pregnant people from across the country—many in rural or under-resourced areas who can’t afford abortion care or find it nearby.

This isn’t just policy. It’s people trying to stay healthy, raise their kids, and survive.

Black and Latina women are already more likely to rely on publicly funded clinics for reproductive care. These communities are also more likely to experience hospital closures and provider shortages. Cuts to Medicaid only deepen existing racial and economic disparities in care access.

As a nonprofit, WRRAP is nonpartisan, but we are not neutral when it comes to justice and survival. Medicaid is turning 60. Instead of weakening it, we should be strengthening its reach and renewing its purpose for the next generation.

Here’s what you can do right now:

·Learn more: Many of these changes are complex and delayed, making it easy to overlook their real impact. Follow trusted sources like WRRAP and Guttmacher Institute.

·Donate: Support abortion funds like WRRAP that help cover the gap when people are denied abortion care. Every dollar helps a real person.

·Know your elected officials: Meet with them now and learn what their commitments are to their communities.

·Register and help others register to vote in 2026: While we are nonpartisan, we strongly believe that civic participation matters.

·Talk about this: Bring it up at work, school, places of worship, and in your group chats. When we break the silence, we build momentum. History has never changed through silence, it changes when we speak up, stand up, and refuse to back down.

·Advocate locally: Your state can expand or protect Medicaid access regardless of federal changes.

When our rights are under attack, compliance is complicity. The decisions being made today will shape access for years to come. Immigrant and BIPOC communities cannot afford to lose Medicaid. They shouldn’t have to fight for the right to care.

As we celebrate 60 years of Medicaid, be loud, be unapologetic, be unrelenting. Because healthcare is not a privilege. It is a right. And it is worth fighting for.