> > This week on the Wheelhouse.

A new Trump's big beautiful bill where access to health > > And food.

♪ bit.

> > For Connecticut Frankie Graziano, this is the Wheelhouse.

The show that connects politics to the people.

We got your weekly dose of politics in Connecticut and beyond right here.

President Donald Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill is now officially the law is one big beautiful bill provides tax cuts for some.

And then it restricts access to health care and food benefits for others.

This hour, we ask how these policy changes will be felt by Connecticut's residents.

Joining me now, Andrea Barton Reeves, Connecticut Department of Social Services.

Commissioner, thank you so much for coming on.

Thanks.

Thanks for having me.

Thank you for coming on and coming into the studio, folks can ask the commissioner a question about access to Medicaid.

8, 8, 8, 7 to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 7 to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, I want to ask you about your department in the work that you all are having to do.

Now.

You handle everything ski health to snap benefits, child support Services.

One of the past couple of weeks been like for you and and how are you all doing?

It has been incredibly challenging.

And I think everyone that works in the department, all of our stakeholders, all of our providers, everyone is feeling it.

> > And the information comes at you like a tsunami.

So when you basically have taken an HR one, then something else comes and then other things come and then you then begin to unfold what is actually happening to people and then trying to communicate all of this to everyone at the same time is also really challenging to Hugh.

So we have our our public who very afraid of what's going to happen because Medicaid and snap our safety net services that we know people rely on in order to be able to feed their families and access to health care.

These are basic things.

These are basic rights.

The people we know should have in order to live with dignity.

So it's been extraordinarily challenging over the last 2 weeks.

So essentially you're > > unpacking the big beautiful bill and having to worry about whatever comes down the pike in terms of budget situation or continuing resolution is that we're trying to say, right?

That's right.

We're trying to do both because we know that this is not the end.

So let's talk about the big beautiful bill first and say that top state Democrats got together at the Charter Oak Health Center.

I saw you there in Hartford recently for a news conference that you lead his sweeping domestic policy bill.

President Donald Trump slash about 1 trillion dollars or so for Medicaid largest cut in the program's history.

How big of an impact is this going to have specifically here?

So specifically here, we will be looking at what is known as our expansion population.

And that's about 335,000 people who currently get Medicaid because we were able to do that under the changes to the Affordable Care Act and to the way that Medicaid works.

> > Across the country.

So there's a there's a direct attack on those people.

They are the ones that will be subject to the work requirements.

So people, for example, who have been veterans who who before would not have had to meet specific work requirements in order to get access to Medicaid.

Now they're going to have to work for us.

That program, the age for working now has to in order to qualify for benefits, has moved from 54 to 64.

So we have an entire decade of people who will now have to find work in an environment where work is really challenging because of all the layoffs that have happened at the federal level.

And now people either have to work go to school being a community program or volunteer.

We know that in this state 73% of the people who are Medicaid are already working.

And 66% of the people who are in snap are already working.

This is not an issue in the state of Connecticut might be in other states where unfortunately they don't have the same sort of densities through that.

People can get access to services and support and working.

But that's not true here.

But this is sort of a broad brush across the entire nation and millions of people are going to go without health care and many more people are really going to suffer if not lose their lives as a result of not being able to get access to care.

So you're concerned about potentially 140,000 maybe up to about 333,000 people losing their Medicare benefits, Medicaid benefits.

> > But now you're telling me also that there might be more people that will need benefits because of the fact that they're changing the work requirements, right.

So so that number could be bigger in terms of the terms of the need.

It could be you could be much bigger in terms of the need.

Our our goal in trying to implement these work requirements.

Whenever we actually get guidance from the federal government as to how to do that is to make sure that 2 things happened.

One that people are informed about the work requirement is whether or not they need to meet them in order to remain on our become eligible for Medicaid and to help them do their best to that.

They can be able to do that because we really don't want to see people fall off and someone's.

We've had practice with this, so to speak with that.

The unwinding after the end of COVID.

So we know how to reach out to people.

We know 100 how to figure out who they are.

We know how to communicate with them.

But that working to start now and then winding was a much more thoughtful process where we had more notice.

This literally happened in a matter of weeks.

So it's left every state scrambling.

Fortunately, we I would say we think we saw this coming.

So we have been doing a lot of modeling, a lot of work beforehand.

So we're more prepared in some states are.

And that's where I want to go because there's only so much you can do to prepare when you don't exactly know it's coming.

But you did do something to prepare.

Help us understand what you did to prepare.

And now I guess the response that you're having to do now just to help us understand some tangential things we could do or not to.

So one of the things that we did is we partnered with young University in the Tobin Center.

They they lent us a bunch of data.

Scientists who are terrific and for for free, which was fantastic so that we could actually figure out what the costs would be.

If, for example, we had to make cuts to Medicaid.

And if we had to have cost sharing and snap and that allow us to do much earlier.

What I think some states are doing now, which is to figure out well, what would that look like?

Who would we have to hire?

What kinds of resources we have to put in place?

How would you have to change or systems in order to make this work?

So we've had a chance to get ahead of that.

We've also been able to talk to other states that have implemented work requirements like Georgia and Kentucky to understand what they've done so we can learn the lessons from them.

So right now we can start hitting the ground with that work because we had a chance to have a long runway because we've been doing the work all along.

I want to know a little bit more about what happened in Georgia because I think that is as much as you can because I know it's something that they'll put you on to and you've probably been paying attention to a little bit in the news.

But can you help us understand how the situation there in Georgia and lease which you can learn about how some of these implementations are impacting people.

Sure.

So in Georgia, it was actually their state legislature that impose the work requirements.

And so with Georgia decided to do was to implement an entire system.

> > Where people could register and declare themselves eligible for Medicaid based on having met certain expectations regarding the work requirements.

So not only do you have to register in the beginning, you also then have to determine that you're continuing to be eligible by meeting those work requirements they did tell us it is a significant and heavy lift and it's an expensive left and they're not necessarily sure that it's actually working as well as they would have liked because number one, they had a lot of people who are already working that were on Medicaid and the frequency with which they have to keep up with people to make sure that they're still working and having the report hasn't really resulted in more people working who are on Medicaid.

It's resulted in more administrative burdens, but they said to us, this is the way that the process works.

And so here are some of the lessons learned.

You want to design your system so that makes it easy for people to self report.

You want to make it easier so that the people who you're who work with you don't have to chase everyone down all the time.

Maybe there are some less this that they've also learned from unemployment, which has very similar rules to remain eligible for unemployment.

So we're taking all of that in as were talking to the vendor partners that we think we're going to be able will have to used in order to do this.

We won't be able to do this on our own and this is a resource and there's the work you do with lawmakers to.

So there's yeah, there's that preventative stuff that you've been able to > > there's the response, but also during the state legislative you all were able to get lawmakers to provide more money meant more Medicaid dollars into the budget and that's going to benefit Fq 8 season.

qualified house and yes.

So that I think is really one of the biggest Ryan's that I definitely credit the governor for and the work that we've done at the Department of Social Services.

> > We saw early on maybe in January that if some of the things we heard we thought would be happening to reduced access to care for P for poor and low-income people.

What's going to happen that we needed to shore up our primary care services and that meant making a significant investment in our federally qualified health centers.

And so that's what we're talking about today.

Later on with the governor.

But it's historic because it's been at least a couple of decades since Rfq.

Isis have had a significant investment of state wasn't flat funded, but it was, you might say not only was nominal and somewhat incremental.

Yeah.

And and not consistent.

I would put it that way.

So this deal helps to fix many of those issues.

And we're really excited about that.

Let me backup in case people don't understand the acronym F 2 agencies.

> > Essentially.

The center's.

Helped a lot of people during COVID.

The people might get their test.

Their Charter Oak Center was one of the folks.

I know that there's one in Torrington the my frequented.

But help me understand what these health centers to and what they may have to do.

More of after the cuts.

Come right.

So the health centers are 17 of them face or 440,000 people throughout the state.

And they provide all forms of primary care.

You can take excuse me.

And they also for every age group that you can imagine.

So you'll see pregnant moms come in.

That's children, everybody.

takes up here and we did as we were reaching out to you all as you have that news conference, Andrea Barton Reeves hosted a news conference.

Senator Blumenthal was there.

We also have Governor de Ned Lamont there.

John Larson was there as well.

The congressman, but we're seeing these people walking at night access that we see these people work in.

There's just streams of people that come in every single day to get care because as we know, getting a primary care appointments really difficult.

But at the centers, you can just walk in.

You can get care and you get really great quality care.

So we knew that with what we saw coming down the pike, that more people would probably need care and I think they provide care.

They don't ask any questions about whether or not you have insurance, what you're what your status is.

Nothing like that.

So you're treated with dignity and respect the matter where you go to the 17 centers and we're really proud of them.

And we're lucky in this state have a really robust network of a federally qualified health centers.

That's what can see.

work and we're excited to have them to make this investment them.

I think it's it's it is it's historic.

And we're thrilled to be able to support them.

Republicans have a different take.

Head of the Connecticut Republican Party been pro do told News Channel 8, a huge portion of the Medicaid bill has to do with providing Medicaid programs and Medicaid benefits to people who are here illegally who are using our emergency rooms as primary care facilities does what he's saying.

Align with what you and your colleagues are actually seeing on the ground?

No, it doesn't.

Our state, as we know, has made an investment and it's made a decision.

Our legislature to provide support to people regardless of their immigration status.

And that's that is a decision that has been made and we support that.

And that's supported in part through the dollars that we sit with, that we use their state only dollars for people who are here undocumented and receive Medicaid.

You can't receive snap.

By the way, if you're not, I qualified alien.

That's the definition.

Under the statute so that that's not true at all in here that often.

And it's it's not the case.

But that is a small, small percentage of the 440,000 people that go to the Fq 8 seas.

Most of the people that go are people who are here legally and but they can't get access to care because they don't have health insurance because they work for jobs and none of those jobs actually offer health insurance.

And if it does, it's a high deductible plan.

We have to pay $20,000 before you even get a chance to access the care that the health insurance would cover.

Those are the people we're talking about.

So it's easy to get misdirected.

I would say.

And I understand it and I'm in no way minimizing what Mr.

Pro do is is suggesting writes, I'm not being disrespectful and things.

That's not the whole truth here.

And I think we need to talk about the the entire picture of health care in totality in this state in the United States really understand how this works.

It's a big talking point.

I've talked to Stephen Harding, whose from Brookfield, he's a Republican I talked to Vin Candelora.

They're always talking who's a who's minority, the minority leader and House.

And a lot of what I hear is that there's a there's a Cadillac plans for these undocumented migrants.

This is what they're always saying.

> > But I talk about this because we had somebody from Georgetown to recently told us that one of the provisions that was previously in the bill was that states like Connecticut who do that, we take care of migrants that are undocumented migrants under 15 and under would get a big penalty from the federal government and lose dollars for Medicaid in the big beautiful bill.

But I understand that was taken out that was so that wasn't a part of the bill that the penalty would have cost the state about.

> > 250 million dollars right for covering about 15,000 people.

So it would have meant that we'd have to make a really difficult decision about what to do.

fortunately, that was not a part of this bill.

Here's a here's a big thing to to kind of wrap our heads around here.

Even if you don't get cut from Medicaid and you still have coverage.

Could your costs still go up?

Your cost of care?

So yes, the cost of care will still go out because just are going to need more people who are going to need care.

But the work requirements specifically, I know we keep returning to those because that's really the biggest impact.

There will be more people who will fall off of care.

So our total cost of care not just under Medicaid, but people who don't now have any insurance will still see care.

So that means that they'll be going to hospitals and emergency rooms regardless of their immigration status.

And now we're going to a significant increase in the number of people that will go and all care has to be paid for.

We know that.

So then what does that mean?

What does that mean to the way that we compensate hospitals and providers and and primary care physicians that are unaffiliated with hospitals.

It means a lot of costs across the board.

What's the timeline or states required to implement changes right away like how?

How should we look at this in terms of when it's really a start to hit right?

So the Medicaid changes are going to start to hit us in 2028, that's we're going to have to actually be compliant with this rule.

But the work has to start long before that in terms of education's the systems and training, all of that has happened.

So we're ready for 2020, the snap to Trey.

The staff changes, though.

Those will happen right away because those were upon implementation.

So that means now we have to figure out how to apply the work requirements for the SNAP benefits for those light that they said the age range is now up to 64.

54 snap has always had work requirements.

Now they sort of match the same work requires Medicaid and that that starts now.

I hate to ask you this question because I don't know if you're exactly ready for years ready as you can before it, but I know you're doing all the work.

Do you understand how much in total were losing from the federal government.

How much the state can backfill because the question we're going to want to ask is how much money?

Is the state going to be able to provide the kind of fill in the blanks, right?

So how can you help us?

Unpack or at least to detonate that atomic bomb.

And I think that's a good way of describing us understand where we got to go against, right?

I thought, well, I think that the governor and the legislature will eventually decide where we have to go.

So every state agency there, many city speak assess that are going to be impacted through talking public health and education and other departments of Health and Addiction services.

So so I could sit here right now to be with the entire picture is I know that for now, you know, we're going to have to fill the gap for people who will be dropping.

Also, there might be an opportunity to provide a fun for uncompensated care.

I have no idea what size that what that's going to look like.

I know that filling in the gap for the snap benefits because now we have to pay up to 75% of that.

That's going to be between 30 45 million dollars.

There's also a penalty for us having with notices that error rate above a certain percentage.

Right now we do.

That number's about 145 Million.

So just those 2 alone under snap is going to cost.

S were 200 million in perpetuity, right?

And so that there's no state that I know of that has those kinds of resources in for 2, no matter how large or lake the rainy day fund is so that means we have to redesign the ways that we provide Medicaid and redesign the ways that we provide steps we can stay within our available resources and hope that we could still provide support for people when they need it.

But I guess the nuance that I'm going to have to drive at now after talking you is that kind of it's going to be a moving target now because I go back to what you said earlier.

> > About the work requirements changing and more people potentially having to rely on Medicaid in the future.

So this is kind of going to be a moving target because you're going to especially with the way that the economy is is appearing to be right now with costs being so high.

You're anticipating that more people are going to need snap and Medicaid benefits.

But there's only so much that you can you can do.

So it's kind of a moving target, I guess it is a moving target.

We see more people now we see already.

> > Even before this bill pass that there was an increase in the number of people who are applying for Medicaid and snap.

It is overwhelming the limited number of people that we have that actually engage an eligibility determination is because the the applications just keep coming in as food goes up as rent goes as just the cost of living goes up generally here and across the country.

We're finding that more people are making are finding it more difficult to make ends meet.

And so they they need to rely on SNAP and Medicaid, even with 2 parent households with both parents working 2, sometimes 3 jobs it's still very hard.

I'd like to close by trying to get some perspective from you in doing this work for 20 years over 20 years.

Excuse me.

Help us understand the current moment and how you feel.

How it might feel different compared to any other time that you've been working here and dealing with the situations.

So the current moment feels as if those who are poor and low income who are working hard to create good lives for their families are really being targeted because they are poor and low income.

There are many, many, many more por lo and poor low-income people in this country.

Then I think people want to think there are a lot of stereotypes about who they are, what their work ethic is, what they think about the work that they do.

And and the I guess the advantages and education and things that they have deliberately made decision is not to take advantage of so that they they are where they are.

So there's there's a lot of blame of people are poor, but you can't blame 100.

And 44 million people in the United States reporting on income that that means that there's something structurally different about the way that we see wealth of wealth inequality as opposed to an individual Nothing that there isn't in many circumstances, but it's not the totality of the circumstances.

And I think I feel very sad for us because that's not the only narrative that can be spawned are shared around what what?

Poverty and low income really needs.

We've always live with it as a nation, but it's really never been anything that looks like the way it does.

Now and just for further perspective, how much money does a family of 4 need to live in this country about in this state?

You need $116,000 to meet your basic needs as a family of 4.

So is the one question might be to?

Dallas reporter is always important to look at that.

That's the United Way of Connecticut's correct.

So one thing that you may be able to if home is go in front of a mirror and ask myself too, do I live in a household where especially if you have children, do I live in a household where we have at least $116,000 that were making.

So that's a that's a good thing to say because you're saying 140 million people in in America are in poverty.

That's right.

It's about country of 30350 million people.

So that's just basic math.

But this has been a tremendous conversation.

I have to let you go.

But up and having a great time.

Thank you.

Thank you, Andrea.

Barton Reeves, the commissioner of the Department of Social Services.

> > Thank you so much for coming and you appreciate you having me.

Thank you.

After the break, we zoom in on one, especially vulnerable group of cancer patients.

want to ask what care may look like as President Donald Trump's domestic policy bill takes effect.

You can join the conversation.

88 7 to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 720-9677.

Stay tuned for more on the Wheelhouse.

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I'm Frankie Graziano on the 4th of July, President Donald Trump signed what he calls one big beautiful bill in to law this hour.

We're looking at what this bill means for Medicaid.

Snap recipients in Connecticut and beyond.

And joining me now is a good personal friend of mine, who, of course, is my colleague, senior Health reporter for Connecticut Public Switch out the street in Boston.

Good morning, Sir.

John to morning.

Thank you.

If you rely on SNAP or Medicaid benefits, we want to hear from you.

What do you think of the recent federal funding cuts call U.S. 8, 8, 8, 7 to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, 87 to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, subject to oftentimes we think about Medicaid and health care coverage we think about annual checkups.

The cost of care, maybe coughs that just won't go away on their own.

But you recent reporting Senate around care for a much more vulnerable population.

B***** cancer patients.

What do we know about cancer treatment?

And Connecticut's Medicaid program?

> > So frankly, guess we do think about annual checkups.

But people are living longer.

We are seeing a rise in chronic diseases metabolic syndrome.

Heart stroke, diabetes.

And can set so that their estimates, one from the University of Chicago points do a 30 person surge in kansa diagnosis rates between 2019 to So that's where we're going to see an Andrea ofa upstream on on finances and the way I look at it as a health journalist, as we have many, many decisions coming out of the federal government and this big, beautiful bill impacting various people on Medicaid and it's like eating a chocolate elephant.

Like how do you approach to talk listen bite by bite?

So we looked at cancer and up to 10.

So because the day the Senate pass the bill, I happen to be meeting the head OFA oncology, oncolytic uncertainty.

It's Milo and she was concerned deeply and she spoke about people potentially dying due to lack of access and lack of kids.

So that's how the story evolved into covering can s*** it.

But that's going to be a lot of other in a chronic illnesses cover 2 that be looking at lack.

> > Of care, lack of access to care.

I imagine that there's a mental health.

Sort of problem.

That springs from that is that your understanding that I may not get access?

I may not be able to afford it.

So does that really impact a person's willingness to seek care?

> > Yes, I mean data shows that people do not see.

Can they did not even go to a doctor if they know that they can't afford can right now, Connecticut is spending about 650 million dollars in cancer care.

That's according to claims paid out by Medicaid.

And this is Medicaid data in twenty-twenty full and that comes to about 42,000 ahead, mins getting expensive, especially immunotherapies.

And you're also seeing but younger people under the age of 50 being more increasingly diagnosed with cancer So there's a cost.

And the man today and just imagine unit several 1000 on this for chemo infusion and these prices haven't gotten cheap off to hospital consolidations, even nonprofit hospital consolidations.

So chemotherapy, you know, and then be looking at prescription drug prices.

I'll be looking at things like Chai K, you know, when you're not able to work with Khan said that he was going going to pay the rent.

I mean, all of it and provides.

And then there is the medical competent.

Read it.

I'm looking data from research and doctors tending me that stress.

The burden of stress.

The financial talks assist toxicity at was coined itself.

Can contribute to was an intense comes.

> > I know you're trying to understand how we're going to be impacted in terms of Medicaid coverage.

And all these changes are happening in the big beautiful bill.

What do we know about work requirements and how that's going to impact cancer patients?

> > Yes, the one in 4 people in Connecticut, a covered by Medicaid, Medicaid compared to about one in 5 because one of the 41 states that expanded Medicaid AC and access health.

So now he's what requirements.

I mean, there's nothing more data, including from care, 5th that shows most people on Medicaid work.

They worked loin chops.

They have multiple jobs and they work for employers that do not provide insurance.

And when people have the the high deductibles or they don't have access to employer-sponsored insurance, I mean, these are people that rely on Medicaid.

So they already working the work week.

My requirements now are about it's exactly 80 hours per month.

The Niners from broken down in different ways.

So did community service.

If you're a student, then you have to show that you're, you know, doing into some sort of studies and on if this is going to drive up administrative costs, it was a failed experiment in Arkansas, the venue and frequency is now 6 months from one.

Yeah.

And data shows that 18,000 people in Arkansas lost their Medicaid insurance in a span of full month.

Frankie, it did not work these work requirements.

Most people don't even know they're on Medicaid because each has got a different name in Connecticut.

The College Husky.

So then UK people don't let them know that these are the work requirements.

I mean, people juggling multiple jobs, juggling childcare.

The don't have transportation to get to it.

So now they have to show every 6 months that they're looking for a job with the employed or this is happening and the administrative burdens delays and websites being down delays and people just drop off can't be purchased.

Don't want to deal with.

The nanny was just too much going on in their lives and then the Arkansas experiment should know that people lose 4,000 people in 4 months news that insurance, Medicaid insurance.

> > It had minimal to no impact on increasing.

> > Walk rifts, people and a medic in the court to strike down.

So this at a national experiment is a fan national experiment.

And that is what we are now implementing nation.

But the work requirements are designed to sort of wean people off of Medicaid so that so that people won't need Medicaid anymore.

That's what they really want to do.

They want people on Medicaid > > well, I mean, when people are working million jobs and they're working 3 jobs and if your employer does not provide insurance in the > > high in being medicated.

> > It's going to increase uninsured the rates of fun.

And, you know, people who are uninsured data already is projecting that in Connecticut and on up to states which I expanded Medicaid at Texas and a husky to you.

I mean, these we're going to see a significant increase in the rates of uninsured.

People 3 percentage points at a cost his estimate and various other estimates with various of the looking at the data.

> > talking about people going through these requirements and having to juggle all these things to keep their Medicaid and they may be juggling a cancer diagnosis or treatment.

Are there any forms of financial assistance available for cancer patients that you turned onto outside of the traditional support through Medicaid.

> > Well, the first of contact would be the federally qualified health centers regardless of insurance or regardless immigration requirements.

And now on to the big beautiful bill refugees, asylum seekers, victims of sex trafficking will not be eligible.

This would be they would be phased out all the time.

But everybody is welcome to a federally qualified health centers.

Many of these people that I listed the sky degrees of people to work.

I mean, they work on farms.

They might provide domestic labor.

providing some sort of work so the federally qualified health center is is one place to go for primary care taxes and then full uninsured, Connecticut.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health has a free program and for people who are financially eligible, it's the Connecticut dressed in civic of cancer.

Early detection program.

This an age and income eligibility for that?

However, if that's a mammogram, says this person might need a biopsy.

That would have to be covered by Medicaid not on Medicaid.

Then we have to think about with these people can get.

This district hospital assistance and then community nonprofits, which provide everything from driving someone to be appointments, providing child care, even assistance with household work ethic to city bills.

But people would have to there's no way in this campaign that the end is now launching to reach these people to let them know they're not alone.

> > Through Yale University spoke with one woman, Delta James, about her experience fighting cancer.

Here's a clip you gathered from that conversation.

> > When I had to have a lumpectomy or the treatments that infusions that I've had to say and endure.

And every time I'm in that chair, the thousands of dollars that it cost.

I had other things to think of like child care.

I have 5 daughters.

> > That photo you're seeing if you're watching the stream on YouTube dot com slash Connecticut Public is really the face of what we're talking about.

You said it earlier.

Among all the things that you're having to do sometimes if you have a cancer diagnosis and trying to be able to afford care, you're also trying for childcare is somebody with 5 daughters.

She's talking about what cancer does to you and then the financial toll it takes for me, right?

Johnson.

> > Exactly.

And she said Medicaid saved her life.

And that's what you tell me.

And we had long conversations that Medicaid saved my life and she was working, by the way, at a call center.

She was looking home.

She was employed and then she couldn't walk doing.

Her diagnosis was diagnosed when she was 33 with an aggressive form stage for triple negative b***** cancers.

Something that is potentially, you know, when black women, younger women diagnosed at higher rates of triple negative b***** cancer, much like stages.

But she was working.

And I also spoke spoken to social workers, including in Social What I to, one of them who said, look, a lot of our cancer patients.

In fact, most of a cancer patient's work when they come to us, they work loathing jobs.

Kristen Madrid told me that.

And they stop working only when they receive extensive chemotherapy, immunotherapy.

And adjust.

The bodies can cannot work.

> > I want to know I want to expand upon this a little bit.

This conversation, Delta James is a black woman, other women of color.

More broadly.

How are the uniquely challenge?

You talked about the unique challenges they face button, at least in terms of this bill and how it passed house.

It.

> > More > > how is it exacerbating the crisis?

> > But the bill is in the context of many other federal decisions, including in Ashland, in cuts.

And it's put him back on diversity.

Visa Inc, I've spoken to the such as that Yukon at Yale.

We'll talk about the new grand proposes which they have, which they not even submitting.

If there's a diversity in demand, clinical trials, for would need to be broad and events because as we all know, young Americans consist of many races and everybody vision outcome and disease progression.

Depends a lot on biology.

In addition to social economic effect is talking about social economic that doesn't like this just a little bit.

These data to show never reported on that.

That on Medicaid expansion here in Connecticut when Sofa asked who does a study when that pointing out that eviction judgments came down enough to Medicaid expansion in Connecticut.

So we talk about the social economic impact people living in poverty.

Why having health taken due to these people?

> > So what what how is it to be so unique in terms of > > a disease progression and axis?

Owen of Texas Values and the other black women, a person less likely to be diagnosed with cancer than White.

Women.

But when it was unlikely to die, if they're diagnosed and that's according to the American Cancer Society.

A lot tougher tested to cut social economic taxes and also black women under age twice as likely to die off Chris consent than white women.

So like I said, the funding cuts, the diversity cuts, the Knights cuts and now the shrinking off Medicaid available in The access to treatment, be accessed.

Early screening preventive screening is stuck to green up this morning.

It back.

Now that's going to everybody is going to take a hit, everybody.

Even those people not covered by Medicaid.

Everyone's going to because of cost has to be shed.

Nothing is free.

No, there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Somebody has to pay for it.

So the cost burden is going to be shifted around 1 Trillion.

Put up potential to make Medicaid cuts to support 4.5 trillion in tax cuts.

> > You mentioned that you're going to continue to follow the impact of the big beautiful bill in your reporting in your health reporting in CT Public Dot Org and on the Connecticut Public.

What are you going to be looking for next?

What kind of stringer you're trying to pull or is there anybody that should be reaching out to you specifically?

> > So I'm going to look at equity kuz impacted in terms of equity and I'm going to look at various chronic disease populations going to look at who live in hospitals, how they are going to be impacted.

How stuffing is going to affected, reimburse mentor.

It's affecting stuffing effecting longtime can, especially in nursing home care.

I mean, this is broad and deep and fast.

> > You've been listening to job history.

Boston senior health reporter for Connecticut Public's, a job to thank you so much for coming on the show.

Thank you, Frank.

I appreciate it was good.

The is it here.

You > > Cd public Dot Org for more can of Steve Jobs's health coverage.

After the break, President sweeping domestic policy agenda calls for the largest cut in history to the supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP.

Take a look at what that means for families in Connecticut.

If you have a question about SNAP benefits, give us a call.

8, 8, 8, 7, to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 720-9677.

♪ ♪ > > For many women whom in straight period, blood is an inconvenience to just deal with and move on.

But it turns out that blood may unlock health secrets way beyond the female reproductive system.

This idea that you can > > diagnose the illness or disorder using menstrual blood is really cool and probably should have happened a really long time ago.

That's all next on point.

♪ > > Listen this morning at 10.

> > Uconn wheels has a new collection of compelling documentary short films produced by University of Connecticut Students.

Watch as one photographer exposed to fines, learn about wartime propaganda imposter syndrome and how our upbringing shapes identities one family impacts the emotional and generational significance of hate.

Watch.

Now at CT Public Dot Org slash UConn.

Wife's a lot of times.

> > That's why Connecticut Public Radio and in Pierre part here to give you the vax the full story and the little clarity when the world feels upside down.

We're not here to add to the noise.

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Stick around.

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♪ > > This is the Wheelhouse from Connecticut Public Radio.

I'm Frankie Graziano.

One in 8 Connecticut residents struggle with hunger.

That's according to end Hunger, Connecticut, a statewide anti hunger and food security organization.

That's where snap comes into play.

The supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, many families across the state rely on SNAP benefits to access food.

President Trump's recent bill will slash funding for SNAP.

The biggest cut in the program's history, according to The Associated Press.

Joining me now to unpack exactly how the program will impact families across the state.

Amari Brantley.

Amari is a policy coordinator for End Hunger, Connecticut.

Mark, thank you for being on the show.

Thank you for having me.

So happy to have you on.

Super excited to be here.

Folks want to give us a call.

8, 8, 8, 7, to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, If you have a quick question about your SNAP benefits how how many people in Connecticut rely on SNAP benefits and also in the state of Connecticut, we have about 400,000 residents that rely on snap as of our 2024 debt.

And you're thinking that 34,000 maybe even more could lose their snap benefits based on me.

Big beautiful buildings, passage.

Definitely so looking at our our statistics as of yesterday when prepping for this meeting, we saw that between 34,000 even up to 110,000 can lose their snap benefits, at least half or all of their snap benefits going into 2027 and looking at what that looks like with the work requirements and everything that could pass or will be put on a put forth with this big beautiful bill.

We just see that direct impact on Connecticut residents.

What are lawmakers telling you about whether or not they'll be able to pay for that?

If if?

If all these people lose their snap benefits and the state has to backfill it or somebody does.

Are you understanding how much money they're going to be able to put forward to do that?

So and to make up for like a shortfall.

So shortfall.

We recognize that the state of Connecticut receives about 1 billion dollars in snap funding on a yearly basis and so with that, the state would initially have to cover about 15% of that looking at that being around about 150 2 million dollars in so understanding that we do have the 4 billion dollar a rainy day fund, but still looking at the entire tee that that's 150 billion dollar million dollars that we would have to cover it.

Snap funding.

Can the state even handle that?

Right?

No state has ever successfully taking on the entirety of SNAP funding for state and just looking at the amount from just 15%.

We can only imagine if the state had to cover cover that entire 1 billion dollar cost and having to act, ask this about a lot of things.

Medicaid, education, funding.

So it is it is it is easy.

> > Hughes brought the 4 billion dollar figure and I do this all the time.

When I talked to governor, but it's it's it's easier to understand the totality when those costs start to pile up, how hard it is to actually backfill.

So that is important information, but you still will be looking to the state to try to backfill as much as they can for the cuts.

President Trump's funding cuts.

How does this impact students?

The snap cuts?

How does it impact students, particularly kids and elementary schools?

So specifically here in Connecticut, we have around 500,000 students.

We have this bill will affect him in multiple ways.

But one way looking at direct certification.

We're over 100 130,000 students are directly certified because of the related practices of snap and Medicaid and to which we see that those students receive free school meals here in the state of Connecticut.

We recognize that there are 206 school districts who are on what is known as the community Eligibility program, which is a federal, a provision where if you have a 25% rate or poverty rate are both above and you may be, you may receive a federal reimbursement for school meal.

> > All right.

And so we see cities like Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford and Waterbury, my hometown that get full reimbursement for sheep.

He meals.

But we see it in entirety of a bunch of other cities that are on the CP program.

And then we see cities like Stanford who being a part of the CP program actually lose money with that federal provisions.

So we see that that's trucking coming down to looking at those districts possibly having to fulfill all or losing some of those numbers are now seeing.

Do they stay above that?

62.5 percent ratio, which is required for every student to get a free meal.

And so then the currying of school meal that another in cities like that occur because we know children, even adults cannot survive when they're hungry.

Looking at children every day when they wake up and go to school.

I'm sure when you were in school and I talked to my mom about this all the time, she says, even if you didn't have the lunch money in the line, you are still able to maybe get a ham sandwich or grucci sandwich.

All right.

So now who will occur?

What who received that dent on the backside for one student meal debt gets to that certain ratio without students being able to afford.

And then we look here on the second side where we see reduced price meals, which is a big thing here in the state of Connecticut, which we offered free meals up until 2023.

And then we saw a huge decline.

We offer strictly free for reduced price meals, which now is no longer of free here in the state of Connecticut.

So we see about another 80,000 students losing access to that free calendar, especially in a time where the working class pool individuals like that for a family of 4 who make more than $57,000.

We see that touching students in school as well from these federal provisions.

It's a tough summer for that mom that you're talking about because at the same time that they're thinking about these potential cuts that are coming > > you're having to provide a meal for your kid every day for lunch, potentially because it's the summer.

So help us understand about summer EBT.

What is that and how will funding cat cuts?

In fact, that summer EBT is a program that was put for to assist families.

> > Who are eligible for school meals or eligible for SNAP to get possibly an increase in Connecticut is known as son books.

And so it's a really big deal because families here are able to get that a city that assisted grocery help when their children are at home during the summer time and we see that this can be held up not only with educational grants but agriculture, grandson other way.

We see a huge reduction with this big, beautiful bill.

It especially now changing the requirements to not only snapped, but how does that make families eligible?

If we look I believe summer 2024, there were 330,000 families that were eligible for some bucks.

And if we change these requirements, well, while these requirements are being changed, we now see that that could drop drastically.

It could even go from 330,000 to presumably 175,000 and look at how that's been cut in half right.

So now half the families that need the sun.

But or need this assistance may not meet the requirements.

And that means half of those children possibly could go 100 right.

We recognize that specifically of the 400,000 people.

57% of those household have children in them.

Right?

Another 37% of the 400,000 have people with disabilities and them and how it all intertwined.

One reason you may want to have food provided for these children is because they may want to go to school because there's food there.

No, yes, well, we looking back into the data for 2020 or or since 2021.

School meals for free.

When we look at October 2023, October 2024, 3 million less breakfast was served at school.

Number.

Also, Trump was attendance rates.

When we look at attendance reached between that year, they simultaneously had a downfall matching the school meals.

So we could basically added up to say families, we're advocating in pushing bringing their children to school.

Not only on time but bringing them to school in totality because they would be offered a meal that, you know, may do it.

We look at cafeterias are the biggest.

The biggest restaurants in the world.

And we see how they affect students every day.

And for certain students.

That's the only nutritious meal that they get.

And so we understand how important it is for school meals to being at school.

And we hope.

Just quickly to kind of put in perspective, something you said earlier about the the 150 million dollars in cuts that we can experience and having to backfill that.

> > Big news recently was that food pantries in Connecticut secured 9 million from the state, which is way more then is the annual 850 care.

So that's allocated what you're trying to square.

That 9 million with that potential 150 million dollars shortfall.

Oh, yes, we can with the loss of in a hole in F L S I P funding and I feel a safety funding.

We see that the state of Connecticut and we're very happy at the state of Connecticut was able to backfill with that 9 Million.

But we have to think about the 15, 20 or 30 million that.

> > Though that organization or those food pantries have lost, right?

We have to look at it in terms of the types of meals, right?

How many meals can we count that are no longer on the tables for family and residents of the state of Connecticut that need it right.

We earlier the commissioner stated we're seeing and witnessing an attack on poor and low income families here in the state of Connecticut in those are some of the families and those are some of the major factors that assist those families in by losing that we can see it that can have a detrimental price range of much more than 9 Million.

We have less than a minute for you to do this for me.

But just help me understand what's next with all that in mind with.

> > It's such a shortfall ahead of you all.

What's the message that you could make the lawmakers?

What can you tell people?

What are you gonna do over the next couple of months?

That's not matter.

So over the next couple months will be leading an advocacy campaign on the state level on the federal level and will be looking for other advocates to join us.

Recognizing that's not matters and that the organization and 100 Connecticut, we want to continue to fight to end hunger on all reef on all resource standards.

On all be standards for residents in the state of Connecticut, in the world in the entire world.

This is a Marie Brantley policy coordinator for and Hunger, Connecticut.

Mark, thank you so much for coming on the wheel.

Haas.

Thank you.

Today show produced by Chloe.

When edited by Patrick Scahill.

Our technical producer is Dylan race.

Download the Wheelhouse anytime on your favorite podcast app.

I want to also thank our visuals department here, a Connecticut Public, our operations department, Vanessa de La Torre and Megan Fitzgerald and everybody else who helps out in the show.

Thank you so much.

I'm Frankie Graziano.

This is the Wheelhouse.

Thank you so much for listening.

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