An ethnic media briefing warns of mass coverage loss, rising premiums, and dangerous disinformation as HR1 and Medicare reforms take effect.
Magazine, The Immigrant Experience, Living Well
The tone was urgent from the start. In a weekly national briefing hosted by American Community Media (ACOM), Health Editor Sunita Sohrabji opened with a piercing question: “Are we now cutting healthcare to the bone?”
A recent virtual session gathered ethnic media and three leading health policy experts to unpack a storm of policy changes set to reshape American healthcare in 2026. Representing diverse sectors, Tomas Bednar, Senior Vice President & Counsel, Healthsperien LLC; Amber Christ, Managing Director for Health Advocacy, Justice in Aging; and Sophia Tripoli, Senior Director, Health Policy, Families USA, outlined a coming reality where millions could lose access to affordable care.
The Cost of Disconnection
Bednar, an immigrant himself, began with the big themes: soaring costs, shrinking access, and political gridlock. At the heart of it all, he warned, is a fundamental shift in how America decides who deserves care.
“There is an intentional narrowing of Medicaid access,” Bednar explained. The Trump administration’s revived public charge rule stands to deter even eligible immigrants from seeking benefits. Once again, fear is being weaponized.
The rule—ping-ponged between administrations—allows immigration officers to consider Medicaid usage when assessing green card applications. For immigrants, that means a terrifying choice: health or hope.
But it doesn’t stop there. HR1, the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” slices $900 billion from Medicaid over the next decade. It also imposes new work requirements that many cannot meet. Combine that with the expiration of advanced premium tax credits (APTCs) under the ACA, and millions could lose affordable coverage.
“Healthcare is political,” Bednar noted. “The elimination of APTCs is the most direct way to massively increase costs to consumers.” Without subsidies, premiums are projected to spike by 70%.
Bednar also pointed to upcoming structural shifts, such as the 2026 launch of Medicare’s drug price negotiations—a long-debated reform made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act. And under the so-called MAHA agenda, led by HHS Secretary Kennedy, the administration may begin incorporating lifestyle and nutrition into healthcare eligibility, further complicating access for low-income communities.
He raised the concern that cost-sharing proposals and value-based coverage could give insurers leverage to deny care under the guise of efficiency. “Consumers don’t know what they’re getting until the bill comes,” he said.
Bednar also warned that misinformation is filling the information void for immigrants. “They’re relying on Facebook, WhatsApp, WeChat—and what’s circulating isn’t always accurate,” he said. Immigrant communities are especially vulnerable to the chilling effects of disinformation and confusion.
Older Adults on the Line
Amber Christ took the virtual mic next. Representing Justice in Aging, she delivered an unflinching assessment: HR1 is not just policy. It’s a redistribution of survival.
“Low-income households will lose about $1,200 a year,” she said. “High-income households? They’ll gain over $13,000.”
That lopsided equation hits older adults hardest. Despite common misconceptions, the majority live on modest means. The median income for seniors is around $30,000. Yet HR1 cuts the very programs they rely on: Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, and ACA subsidies.
“Medicaid fills the gaps Medicare doesn’t cover,” Christ explained. “Like dental, vision, long-term care, and affordability itself.”
With HR1, many lawfully present immigrants—refugees, asylees, even those with Temporary Protected Status—are losing Medicare access. Some are already enrolled, now facing termination.
“That’s unprecedented,” Christ said. “We’ve never seen people lose Medicare once they’ve had it.”
States, she added, are already anticipating budget shortfalls. Colorado, for instance, has proposed cutting home and community-based services (HCBS), such as personal care hours for seniors. During the Great Recession, all 50 states slashed HCBS. This time may be no different.
Christ warned that Medicaid’s “optional” benefits—including dental, vision, and at-home care—are first on the chopping block. States could also reduce provider rates or narrow eligibility altogether. The result? A sharp increase in uninsured and medically neglected older adults.
She urged ethnic media to spotlight stories of affected seniors and counteract the silence. “These are the voices policymakers need to hear,” she said.
The Structural Crisis
Sophia Tripoli of Families USA took a wider lens. The real enemy, she argued, isn’t overuse. It’s the price structure itself.
“Corporate consolidation and misaligned incentives are driving up costs,” Tripoli said. Hospitals, drug companies, and insurers have merged into monopolies. The result? Less competition, higher prices, and worse outcomes.
Fee-for-service payment models further exacerbate the issue. “We reward doing more, not doing better,” she said. “Not prevention, not equity.”
She identified two culprits behind surging prices: consolidation and payment incentives that prioritize volume over value. When fewer corporations dominate the landscape, costs rise with little accountability. Meanwhile, consumers bear the brunt.
“Millions of families are forced to choose between prescriptions and rent,” she said. “And if APTCs expire, premiums could double or triple for many.”
Tripoli emphasized that these burdens fall hardest on communities of color, rural families, and immigrants. Medical debt, underinsurance, and delayed care are the direct results of policy choices—not inevitabilities.
She stressed the need to transition to health system transformation that centers equity and access: expanding Medicaid, regulating healthcare prices, and moving away from fee-for-service toward value-based care that actually improves health outcomes.
From Policy to People
The numbers are sobering, but this briefing wasn’t just about spreadsheets. It was about people.
Aging parents who may lose their in-home caregivers. Immigrant mothers terrified that a clinic visit could cost them their green card. Working families caught between groceries and glucose tests.
And as each speaker emphasized, the consequences won’t wait until 2026. States are already reacting, cutting services preemptively. The dominoes are falling.
What Comes Next?
When asked if the damage could be reversed should Democrats retake Congress, Christ was cautiously optimistic.
“There are bills already in place to repeal HR1,” she said. “But people are feeling the pain now. We need media to tell those stories.”
Tripoli agreed. “We are at a breaking point. This is a test of political will—and moral clarity.”
As the briefing closed, it was clear: healthcare isn’t just a policy fight. It’s a human one.
And for America’s immigrant communities, the question remains: Who will be left standing when the cuts come down?
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