U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Massachusetts, stopped by the Kennedy Community Health Center's Framingham office on Thursday, April 17, to discuss the "colossal" effects that cuts to federal health insurance could have on MetroWest.

Clark, the House Minority Whip, joined Kennedy Community HealthPresident and CEO Stephen Kerrigan for an interview with the Daily News to discuss cuts to Medicaid and Medicare programs. Each said that cuts to the programs would have a "colossal impact" on Bay Staters.

"The bottom line is if they do away with those programs, they do away with our health because it's just impossible for us to continue operating when you lose 55% or 60% a year of your income," said Kerrigan, who is also the Massachusetts Democratic Party chair. "That being said, any cut to it is going to be colossally impactful for us."

Medicaid is a state government health program for low-income and disabled people. Its coverage includes low-income pregnant women and nursing homes for some low-income seniors and others. According to USA TODAY, the federal government funds the majority of Medicaid spending, but states contribute varying levels, depending on the program. State governments administer Medicaid programs, handle sign-ups and check eligibility.

MassHealth is Massachusetts' Medicaid program. According to its website, more than two million residents are enrolled in it, including 600,000 children and 500,000 seniors. In February, according to USA TODAY, Congress narrowly passed a budget resolution calling for $2 trillion in cuts to mandatory spending over the next decade, including a cut of $880 billion from the part of the budget funding Medicaid and Medicare.

Clark and Kerrigan said the reason behind the proposed cuts to Medicaid and Medicare is to give tax cuts to the wealthy.

"Those who want to cut it aren't cutting it to make it more efficient, they're cutting it to line their own pockets with tax cuts," Kerrigan said.

How would Medicaid and Medicaid cuts affect MetroWest?

Kerrigan pointed out that for Kennedy Community Health, 43% of its patients are on Medicaid, 6% are on Medicare and another 12% are on other public insurance. In addition, he said 30% of medical provider jobs are unfilled across the Kennedy Community Health network, leading to longer wait times for people to receive care.

Kerrigan said eliminating even a piece of the funding would mean patients would not come to Kennedy Community Health to receive care. In the long run, he said, this could lead to "easily treated illnesses becoming chronic or a critical care issue."

Clark added that cuts will cause a ripple effect across the state. While her 5th Congressional District includes diverse cities such as Framingham, Marlborough and Revere, Clark also represents wealthier towns including Belmont, Wayland and Weston.

"It's going to impact the wait times at emergency rooms, it will drive up the private health insurance costs and premiums, all at a time where people are already feeling that they are struggling to get by instead of getting ahead with the high cost of groceries and housing," the congresswoman said.

In response, Clark said she's drawing on stories of people who would be impacted. She said she wants people's stories to "come off the page" from a budget line item.

"We will do everything we can in the minority in the House to block this, to draw attention," Clark said. "The American people are opposed in huge numbers to these cuts. This is not popular. They see through that this has nothing to do with the efficiency. This is about handing tax cuts to the billionaire class at the expense of the health of the American people and of Bay Staters."

Kerrigan stressed that Medicaid is not a giveaway.

"We want to just keep doing it and that's what we implore folks to just remember that this isn't a giveaway," he said. "We're getting paid for work that our team has already done to provide for the people in our community that need it the most."

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Original story HERE.