Rep. Summer Lee, State Sen. Maria Collett, and Pennsylvanians Sound Alarm on Medicaid Rule Threatening Those With Serious Illnesses and Disabilities as Deadline Looms

July 28, 2026 Press Release VIDEO: Full Press Call PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 28, 2026 — Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) joined Pennsylvania State Senator Maria Collett, Medicaid recipients, caregivers, and health care advocates for a press call warning that a harsh new Trump administration rule could rip health coverage away from Pennsylvanians with serious and chronic illnesses. The call, hosted alongside Unrig Our Economy, Action Together NEPA, and Affordable Pennsylvania, came just days before the public comment period for the proposed rule closes on July 31, 2026. The proposed rule follows Republicans’ passage of the largest Medicaid cuts in the program’s history. Pennsylvania Republicans in Congress voted for the Republican tax law that opened the door to these new restrictions while providing additional tax breaks to billionaires and giant corporations. Participants warned that the rule could put patients with cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, end-stage renal disease, sickle cell disease, and other serious and debilitating illnesses at risk of losing their health coverage. They also urged Pennsylvanians to submit public comments opposing the rule before the July 31 deadline. “Medicaid is a lifeline for millions of Pennsylvanians. It is how parents take their children to the doctor, how seniors and people with disabilities receive care, and how people managing cancer, diabetes, HIV, sickle cell disease, and other chronic illnesses access lifesaving treatment,” said Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA-12). “The new Medicaid policies from Trump and Republicans will only make it harder for folks in my district and across the country. Nearly 20,000 people in my district alone could lose their coverage. Instead of making health care more affordable, these policies will force families to navigate more paperwork and place lifesaving care further out of reach.” “Pennsylvania families should not lose health care because Washington politicians decided to make Medicaid harder to access,” said Pennsylvania State Senator Maria Collett. “I was a registered nurse before coming to the state legislature, and I cared for patients at the bedside. I made sure that Pennsylvanians had access to quality, affordable health care, and it is a top priority of mine to continue doing that. Unfortunately, we have seen time and again that that is not a priority that the Trump administration and Washington Republicans share. These new Medicaid rules will force recipients to navigate a confusing list of exemptions and repeatedly prove their eligibility. We should be cutting costs, not cutting people off from care.” "Medicaid gave me the chance to heal and eventually return to work. People who are recovering from catastrophic injuries deserve the dignity of making medical decisions with their doctors – not having to prove over and over that they deserve health care, ” said Krysten, a Medicaid recipient in Scranton. “Instead of making sick and injured Pennsylvanians jump through more hoops, Congress should be asking why billionaires and large corporations are getting another tax break at our expense. Congressman Rob Bresnahan should stand with families like mine and protect the health care that made my recovery possible." "Medicaid allows me to care for my partner, who has cerebral palsy, so he can live safely and with dignity at home," said Lynn, a homecare worker in Allentown. "People with disabilities and their families know what they need to live healthy, independent lives – they shouldn't have to prove it over and over again through more paperwork and bureaucratic hurdles. If Congress wants more oversight, it should start with the billionaires and large corporations receiving massive tax breaks, not families who depend on Medicaid to survive. Congressman Ryan Mackenzie should stand with caregivers like me and protect the health care that allows our loved ones to live with dignity." "When I suffered a stroke at 20, Medicaid made it possible for me to receive the around-the-clock care I needed to recover," said Grace, a Medicaid recipient in Cresco. "Living with a disability already means navigating challenges every day. People like me deserve the dignity of knowing we can access the care we need without constantly having to fight to prove we're sick enough or disabled enough. Instead of creating new barriers for people with serious illnesses, our leaders should be asking why billionaires and giant corporations are receiving tax breaks while basic health care is being put at risk. Congressman Rob Bresnahan should stand with his constituents and protect Medicaid." “Republicans in Congress like Rob Bresnahan, Ryan Mackenzie, and Scott Perry voted for massive cuts to Medicaid to fund tax breaks for billionaires. Now, Pennsylvanians with serious illnesses are at-risk of losing health care coverage altogether due to this Medicaid rule,” said Unrig Our Economy Campaign Director Leor Tal. “This is not an accident — this is the consequence of putting the wants of the ultra-rich over the needs of their constituents. We need everyone to speak out against this rule before the July 31 deadline, and, even better, we need Republicans in Congress to undo these devastating cuts to Medicaid that are jeopardizing Pennsylvanians’ lives.” “At Action Together, we hear from people who are struggling to make impossible decisions regarding the health care that they need every single day. Last year, Ryan Mackenzie, Rob Bresnahan, and Scott Perry all voted to drastically cut Medicaid just to give billionaires and big corporations a tax break,” said Kristin Volchansky, Advocacy Director for Action Together NEPA. “As someone who has relied on Medicaid for treatments for a chronic disorder, I know that struggle all too well. We need to raise our voices against this new proposed rule that would only make it harder to access the care they desperately need. Members of Congress need to undo the damage they’ve done — the lives of Pennsylvanians depend on it.” "Ryan Mackenzie, Rob Bresnahan, and Scott Perry voted to gut Medicaid so billionaires and giant corporations could get another tax break. This new rule is exactly what they voted for," said Rachele Fortier, Executive Director of Affordable Pennsylvania. "When eligible Pennsylvanians lose Medicaid, they don't lose a government program — they lose chemotherapy appointments, home health aides, medications, and the care that keeps them out of the hospital. Our members of Congress should be fighting to protect their constituents, not defending policies that put their health at risk." Congresswoman Lee has made protecting and expanding affordable health care a core priority throughout her time in Congress. She has fought Republican Medicaid cuts , voted to extend ACA tax credits , introduced the Drug Deal Disclosure Act , backed legislation addressing wrongful denials , and cosponsored Medicare for All . She continues working to lower costs, hold powerful health care corporations accountable, and ensure every family can access quality care without going into debt. Watch the full press call HERE. Congresswoman Summer Lee serves on the House Committee on Judiciary and the Committee on Education and Workforce. Since taking office in January 2023, she has delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $2.7 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs.  Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 4,000 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.