Cutting Medicaid Health Care is Personal to Nebraskans

OMAHA, Neb., June 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mike Bird, President & CEO, Connected Roots Care Center (CRCC), shares Op Ed on the consequences of cutting Medicaid.

Every morning, I watch families come through the doors of our center, where we provide comprehensive early childhood education for children of all developmental abilities. Some are learning to walk. Others use wheelchairs. Some are just beginning to speak; others will need therapy for years to find their voice. But every one of them deserves the chance to grow, thrive, and be cared for while their parents go to work and contribute to our economy and support their family.

That's why I'm speaking out about the House-passed budget proposal to cut at least $800 billion from Medicaid and news reports that the Senate is attempting to cut even more. This isn't a policy debate to the families I serve. It's a literal threat to their lives, their livelihoods, and the delicate balance of supports that keep them going.

Medicaid is a cornerstone of care for children with disabilities.
When a child receives a medically qualifying diagnosis, whether it's cerebral palsy, epilepsy, a genetic disorder, or a severe developmental delay, Medicaid is a lifeline. It helps cover the therapies, adaptive equipment, nursing, and behavioral supports that are not optional for these kids. In Nebraska, Medicaid supports 1 in 2 children with special needs. It pays for the care they need to stay safe, healthy, and learning.

And it works. Medicaid is more cost-efficient per enrollee than private insurance, and it strengthens our workforce by allowing parents to work instead of choosing between employment and caregiving.

At CRCC, we can offer comprehensive child care services through funding that is like a three-legged stool:

• Family "out of pocket" contributions combined with their insurance coverage
• Public programs, foundational health insurance and work supports for low-income, working families, including Medicaid and child care subsidies
• Generous donors to help fill the gaps

Take one leg away, and the whole thing tips over. The cuts passed by Congress in Washington, D.C., would affect children, families, and organizations built to serve both.

The House-passed reconciliation bill does more than cut funding. It removes the foundation for children. If enacted, the bill would stop federal improvements designed to keep eligible children covered and adds unnecessary bureaucratic red tape for their parents. A parent who misses a notice or gets caught in paperwork could lose coverage and so may their child. And the work requirement? Most adults relying on Medicaid already work or have caregiving responsibilities but cannot otherwise access affordable insurance through their employers. The parents we serve are working. They depend on Medicaid so they can work — not the other way around.

Evidence on states like Arkansas and Georgia who implemented less strict work requirements make clear that work requirements are merely more red tape that cause people to lose coverage, even if they are eligible and follow the rules. They also did not show any improvements in employment.

The consequences are real.
If Congress moves forward on these proposed cuts to Medicaid, we will see children and families suffer. Many will lose health insurance and needed services. Others will be forced to reduce hours or leave jobs altogether. Many will face impossible choices, between feeding their families or paying for a therapy session, between showing up to work or sitting on hold with an eligibility office.

As a state, we'll also pay the price. Disenrolling and re-enrolling families over and over is not fiscally responsible, it costs more to administer and creates inefficiencies that hurt both government and taxpayers. More red tape, including onerous work reporting requirements, is expensive and unnecessary.

We were founded because there was no place for families like ours to turn.
Two sisters started CRCC because they saw too many parents of children with disabilities forced to leave the workforce or rely on patchwork care. They believed in a better way — one that honors children of all abilities and helps their parents stay supported and employed.

That belief still guides us. And that's why we're asking Nebraska's senators, and those across the country, to protect Medicaid, not gut it. Especially for our most vulnerable.

Our families are not asking for special treatment. They are asking for a fair chance to work, protect their children, and contribute. Medicaid helps make that possible.

About the Author
Mike Bird
President and CEO, Connected Roots Care Center

Mike grew up on his grandparents' farm outside of Blair, NE. Following graduation from Blair High School, Mike attended Creighton University. After receiving his BSBA in Finance in 1999, Mike moved to Colorado where he worked in hotel management in Grand Lake and Breckenridge. Upon his return to Omaha, Mike spent several years working in sales in the direct marketing industry at infoUSA and Vente. This marketing and sales experience positioned Mike to pursue an opportunity with Lund-Ross Constructors to lead their business development and marketing efforts. While at Lund-Ross, Mike served on the board of directors for Ronald McDonald House Charities in Omaha. While serving as the board chair, an opportunity arose to make a change in careers and to join the staff at the Ronald McDonald House as their Director of Development. This experience reinforced Mike's passion to serve and help others. Following this experience, Mike had the opportunity to become the Director of Development at Heritage Services. In 2014, Mike was appointed Vice President of Advancement for UNO for the University of Nebraska Foundation. In 2021, Mike became Director of Development for CRCC, and was appointed CEO in 2022.

SOURCE Connected Roots Care Center (CRCC)