Flint nurse reveals how cutting Medicaid would ‘stress an already stressed system’

Rachel Chapin of Fenton says that cutting Medicaid will push hospitals and staff across the state to their breaking point. 

As a nurse for over a decade at McLaren Flint Hospital, Rachel Chapin says she’s honored to help patients during the most vulnerable moments of their lives—from guiding expecting mothers through the labor and delivery unit to working in the emergency room. 

“I love getting to know the families, and being there with people when they’re making hard decisions for their loved ones. I feel honored to be part of that,” said Chapin.

Chapin also admits that she’s concerned about the future of health care for her patients, especially as the Trump administration prepares to cut millions of dollars in Medicaid funding.

With nearly 1,200 babies being born into families in the city each year and the annual household income of around $35,000, Medicaid is a critical lifeline for Flint residents—especially for the 70% of Flint kids who are growing up in poverty. 

“It’s like the Wild West in the ER. You’re being pulled in a million directions. I can’t imagine having even more stress on an already stressed system,” said Chapin, adding that overflowing emergency rooms and lengthy wait times are already a current reality for hospitals across the state, including her own.

“Some days it’s standing room only. You see people sleeping on the floor or under chairs…I can’t imagine an influx of patients coming in on top of that who are not in good health because they don’t have health insurance,” said Chapin. 

If the Trump administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill” passes, state officials worry that health providers would see a steep increase in “uncompensated care,” which happens when people without health coverage get sick and can’t afford to pay their medical bills. That would spell trouble for hospitals and health systems in Michigan and across the US.

“I don’t see anything good coming from cutting Medicaid and having people have to cut through more red tape,” said Chapin.

“Adding more barriers is just going to have more people fall off, and then we all pay the price.”

That’s because without federal Medicaid funding, state and local governments will have to step in to keep hospitals and clinics open, especially for low-income families and seniors. This leads to raising property taxes. 

On the hospital and clinic end of the equation, they receive less money for treating patients who require medical care but can’t pay for it. Those hospitals and physicians need to make up for the lost Medicaid funds—so when patients with private health insurance come in, their insurance companies are charged more. 

That process is called “cost shifting.” In turn, those insurance companies raise their premiums to cover the bills. 

Related: Michigan hospitals at risk of closing if Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ passes

Fighting for access

In early June, Chapin joined several other Michigan nurses as they traveled from the Great Lakes State to Washington, DC, to explain to Congress how Medicaid cuts would harm the health care system as a whole.

“Being in DC was important for me because I know, along with a lot of Americans, we have that sense of uncertainty and anxiety that goes along with not knowing what’s going to happen next,” said Chapin, adding that having that anxiety prompted her to take action. 

While in DC, Chapin met with the offices of US Sen. Elissa Slotkin and US Sen. Gary Peters. She told the legislators about increased wait times in emergency rooms and how patients would soon outnumber available nurses if the Senate passes the House-approved budget bill. 

“The day that we were on The Hill was a long one, but it did feel empowering to be able to be there and to have those meetings,” Chapin said. 

Since then, nearly 900 state and local elected officials from 36 states—including 60+ elected officials from Michigan—signed onto a bipartisan letter to oppose the Trump administration’s reconciliation bill. 

“As government leaders, we understand the importance of rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse to keep public services strong, but this plan fails to do that,” stated the letter organized by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), a union representing 1.4 million members who provide vital services, from nurses to sanitation workers.

“Instead, it would rip the very fabric of our nation’s social safety net wide open to give the wealthiest people tax breaks they don’t need. Meanwhile, veterans, seniors, children, people with disabilities, and all working people will suffer.”

Chapin says this is just the beginning of what she calls an “escalation of action.” She hopes to soon connect with hospital leadership at McLaren to discuss their stance on protecting Medicaid patients and hospital staff.

“Having someone look you in the eye is more effective than just looking at numbers and data. It makes me feel like I can do something to help my community.”

Related: A prescription for cash? New data shows the impact for Michigan families