When US Rep. Tom Barrett, a Republican serving Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, voted for H.R. 1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), he issued a statement on his website that said Michiganders had sent him to Congress to “do the hard work necessary to lower the cost of living.” The statement said OBBBA “makes good on those promises”and “strengthens the integrity of Medicaid.”
The ‘Gander has previously reported on how the OBBBA has made life more difficult for some Michiganders, from spiking healthcare premiums to closing the Planned Parenthood clinic in Barrett’s own district. Over the next decade, it will cut roughly $1 trillion in Medicaid spending across the country.
Last week, the Committee to Protect Health Care—a national, physician-led advocacy organization for healthcare—held a virtual conference with several physicians local to Barrett’s district. They shared first-hand stories detailing how their patients’ health has been affected by Barrett’s leadership.
Lansing nonprofit healthcare center CEO speaks out
Dr. Farhan Bhatti is the CEO of Care Free Medical, a federally qualified nonprofit healthcare center in Lansing. Bhatti said most of his patients are low-income and on Medicaid.
“Tom Barrett promised to lower costs, but he’s broken that promise—in fact, he’s voted to make things worse,” Bhatti said. “My patients are struggling more than ever to afford the basic needs of life.”
Bhatti said that his patients’ mental and physical health have suffered due to the high costs of gas and food. He believes their high blood pressure, added stress, and poor cardiovascular health often stem from affordability concerns at the gas pump and the grocery store.
“Congressman Barrett promised to address these issues,” Bhatti said. “Then he turned around and voted for H.R. 1, Trump’s Big Ugly Bill, which gutted SNAP, ripping away support for food from over 113,000 Michiganders to date.
“H.R. 1 also, of course, makes the biggest cuts to Medicaid in the program’s history.”
Finally, Bhatti pointed out that many of the Medicaid cuts won’t go into effect until January 2027, after the midterm elections, which he called “convenient” for Barrett and those who voted for the OBBBA.
As for Barrett’s issued statement about the OBBBA lowering the cost of living?
“That claim is an insult to my patients and all the hardworking people of the 7th Congressional District.”
Family care physician holds Barrett accountable
Dr. Jan Liu, a family care physician and member of the Committee to Protect Health Care, also addressed how the OBBBA has affected his patients.
“I have a 55-year-old diabetic patient right now who is about to lose her Medicaid health insurance because of these changes,” Liu said. “Her husband is disabled, so she has to work two jobs. Neither of her jobs offers her health insurance, and when she loses her Medicaid, there is no way that she’s going to be able to afford paying for her diabetes medications.
“Without these medications, I’m worried that her kidney function is going to continue to decline and she’s going to end up on dialysis.”
Liu added that Barrett voted against extending Affordable Care Act tax credits that would help low- and middle-income families afford healthcare coverage. Barrett’s voting record includes a vote against H.R. 1834, which, if passed, will extend ACA tax credits through the end of 2028. H.R. 1834 passed through the House of Representatives without Barrett’s help.
“Every day, people in our communities are struggling to make ends meet,” Liu said. “Every day, my patients are choosing not to take medications they can’t afford. Every day, my patients are avoiding life-saving tests like colonoscopies for fear of going into medical bankruptcy.
“The situation is untenable, and Tom Barrett helped create it.”
After voting for the OBBBA, Barrett issued another statement on his website citing the reasons for his support for the legislation with a long list of what the OBBBA does.. A subsection labeled “Strengthening Medicaid for the Most Vulnerable” has two bullet points. One reads “Preserves Medicaid for the people the program is designed to serve: expectant mothers, children, people with disabilities, and the elderly.”
The other says the OBBBA “Requires healthy, able-bodied adults on Medicaid to return to the workforce or do meaningful volunteer work in their community. The bill also removes illegal immigrants, duplicative or deceased enrollees, and other ineligible persons from the Medicaid rolls.”
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