When Wynn first went to the hospital for a collapsed lung, she didn’t have health insurance and believed that she did not get the care she needed. Doctors did an x-ray and dealt with the immediate problem, but did not order additional diagnostic tests to investigate the cause of the collapsed lung. “I felt that because I didn't have insurance, the hospital did not do a thorough check,” said Wynn.
But when her lung collapsed again years later, she had Medicaid coverage. Wynn was admitted to the hospital, received multiple diagnostic tests and ultimately learned she had lung cancer and COPD.
Medicaid provides quality, affordable healthcare coverage for about 80 million people across the country,1 including low-income children and adults, pregnant individuals, people with disabilities and seniors. Many individuals with lung cancer like Wynn, rely on Medicaid; from 2012-2016, Medicaid covered 24% of people with lung cancer under age 65 in the United States.2
When people have quality, affordable healthcare coverage, they are able to access cancer screenings, other preventive care, and additional diagnostic tests that can help catch health conditions earlier. In fact, research shows that states that have expanded Medicaid access have seen an increase in early-stage cancer diagnoses, including lung cancer, when cancer is more treatable.3 According to the American Lung Association’s “State of Lung Cancer” report, the five-year survival rate for lung cancer is 63% when the cancer is caught before a tumor spreads, compared to just 8% if the cancer is caught at a late stage.4
For Wynn, Medicaid coverage was lifesaving. After her initial diagnosis, Wynn needed multiple surgeries on her lungs, as well as brain surgery after her cancer spread. But because she had healthcare coverage, she is a three-time cancer survivor. Last year, Wynn was even able to come to Washington, DC to share her story with members of Congress and explain how important quality, affordable healthcare coverage is for people with or at risk for lung cancer.
“Due to having Medicaid, I was able to get all the tests that I needed to get a diagnosis, the medications that I needed, and I was able to continue to live the life that I desired to live even after being diagnosed with lung cancer,” said Wynn.
Unfortunately, Medicaid is at risk this year, as congressional leaders are discussing severe cuts to the Medicaid program in upcoming budget legislation. Cuts to Medicaid could take a number of different forms. For example, right now, the federal government and states split the cost of providing Medicaid coverage, but Congress could reduce the amount of money that the federal government contributes through policies called block grants or per capita caps. As a result, states would be forced to reduce coverage and cut benefits that Medicaid provides.
Congress could also make it harder for people to enroll or reenroll in Medicaid coverage by adding red tape to the program. Policies like work reporting requirements force people to document that they are working or meeting other criteria in order to keep their healthcare coverage. These policies do not actually increase employment, but instead increase paperwork, and they create opportunities for administrative errors that result in fewer people with healthcare coverage. For example, under Georgia’s work reporting requirement, just a few thousand people have gained coverage, compared to more than 350,000 people who could gain coverage if the state fully expanded its Medicaid program without these burdensome requirements.5
The bottom line is that all of these policies would cut Medicaid and harm people with lung cancer and other lung diseases. Members of Congress need to hear from patients and caregivers that they oppose healthcare cuts. Join the Lung Association in advocating to protect Medicaid by taking our action alert today.
Blog last updated: January 21, 2025
