The Health Stories Working Group needs you! We collect and publicize stories that highlight the harm being done by the administration’s cuts to Medicaid (Medi-Cal), Medicare, research, public health, clinical trials, nutrition programs and more. Team members are trained to conduct interviews with volunteers about their direct experiences. We publicize these stories via a range of traditional and digital media. We then encourage city, state and federal elected officials to take action to reverse these damaging changes.
As we all painfully know, there have been devastating cuts to the social safety net as a result of HR.1, also known as the Big Beautiful Bill, particularly in the ability of our community to access and receive health care. Healthcare organizations, communities, families, and individual patients throughout the entire East Bay are making difficult choices among basic needs.
Even prior to the implementation of these cuts, a recently released poll from the California Health Care Foundation found that 7 in 10 Californians feel that health care expenses place a financial strain on their household. Are you one of these 7 in 10? Do you know someone who is? The poll also found that over half of Californians report that they or a family member skipped or delayed care due to cost in the past 12 months. If you are part of this majority, we want to to talk to you.
Indivisible East Bay has created a team of talented story tellers to create a bank of stories to put a face to these numbers. Our goal is to raise public and policymaker awareness with the media and other organizations on the frontlines of health care access, to document the real-life impact of these cuts. These stories will be anonymous and then shared to advocate for health access.
Here are some ways you can join us in this effort:
- Share your story about how you or your organization are being affected by cuts to Medicaid and Medicare and the policies affecting ACA subsidies.
- Encourage community members who are struggling with health care access to share their stories.
- Join our team to provide feedback and guidance on this project.