photo credit: Noah Abrams/KRCB
Dr. Parker Duncan Diaz speaking Friday, March 7th, about his concern over
the potential impacts of a cut to federal Medicare and Medicaid spending.

Congressmen Mike Thompson and Jared Huffman spoke at joint press conference in Santa Rosa Friday morning, March 7th.

They were there to decry the proposed cuts to federal healthcare spending.

The two North Bay representatives were joined at Santa Rosa Community Health's Dutton clinic by a group of local doctors, healthcare representatives, and a Medicaid recipient.

The recent budget proposal advanced by House Republicans is to eliminate $880 billion from the federal budget.

It's a plan the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office said would have to include cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, despite promises to the contrary from President Trump.

4th District Representative Mike Thompson said it would be disastrous for his constituents.

"It is very clear that this is going to have a devastating effect on the delivery of health care in our area," Thompson said. "The same is true in regard to delivering health care across the country. In California, one in every three patients is a Medicaid patient."

According to reporting in the Guardian and other news outlets, the cuts would offset Trump's tax cuts, and pay for mass deportations and defense spending.

California's 2nd District Representative Jared Huffman said the proposed cuts would destabilize the entire healthcare ecosystem, beyond acute care.

"100% of the people with disabilities depend on Medicaid," Huffman said. "Some of the families that I represent are going to see their premiums in the ACA market place go up 300% if these cuts go into effect."

Doctor Parker Duncan Diaz is a family medicine specialist in southwest Santa Rosa. He said he fears the cuts will be the difference between life and death for many, like his longtime patient Sharon, recently diagnosed with liver cancer.

"When I saw her last week and asked her how she was doing, it was her answer that so poignantly expressed to me the reality of what we're talking about here," Duncan Diaz said. "She looked at me and said, 'Doc So when they cut my Medicaid, how soon until I die?' This is just one individual story of these type of repercussions that will happen."