While writing my monthly newsletter and researching the latest health facts, I found something very disturbing: the data is disappearing! Information from the CDC that I regularly source is now just… gone! When I started Uzima Health and Wellness, I frequented the CDC for statistics and other research to include in my articles so that you have the most accurate information. Now, it’s simply not there.
When I interned at the CDC Division of TB during graduate school, I interacted with public health epidemiologists, biostatisticians, and researchers who worked tirelessly to safeguard public health and make important recommendations. During the same time, the nation was faced with a tuberculosis outbreak in addition to the AIDS epidemic. People were dying. The work of the CDC was fundamental for the health of this nation. And it still is today. The CDC and HHS track health disparity data that is vital for action. Let me remind you of the health disparities still affecting US:
Right now the cuts and layoffs inside the Health Department are happening quickly and quietly. Without a doubt, this threatens all of our lives.
We cannot lose sight of the struggle for better health. America has the best medical care in the world but I fear that the groundwork is being laid for the resurgence of a separate and unequal healthcare system. This time it will not only be based on color but based on class: the haves vs the have-nots.
The often overlooked part of the Civil Rights Movement is the quest for equality in health. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the 1966 Second Annual National Convention of the Medical Committee for Human Rights in Chicago, spoke his famous words:
Of all forms of inequality, injustice in health is the
most shocking and the most inhumane.
— DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
As I volunteer in the community and read news focused on Black lifestyle, I believe the topic of restructuring public health data, which guides policy and inspires grassroots action, is a missing conversation.Therefore, I am bringing you Just the Facts!
As of 2024, around 72 million people were enrolled in Medicaid. The program is jointly funded by federal and state governments, but each state determines its own rules around eligibility, service availability, and reimbursement.
Medicaid accounts for $1 out of every $5 spent on healthcare in the U.S. While it’s considered more efficient than private insurance, it has been the target of federal budget cuts passed in the senate that could compromise access to quality healthcare for millions of low-income individuals.
Healthcare takes a backseat to military and border spending
The Trump administration’s 2026 “skinny budget” has passed which includes a 22% reduction in federal spending. It prioritizes military and border security, and slashes funding for critical areas like health, education, and the environment.
Imminent Medicaid Cuts
The 2026 budget includes a $674 million cut to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), effectively eliminating funding that the administration considers has been used to carry out non-statutory, wasteful, and “woke” activities. For instance, it eliminates CMS activities related to health equity, outreach, and education.
These reductions could strain the entire health system. To maintain current coverage levels, states would be forced to significantly increase their spending, a burden they may not be able to carry. Cuts would also reduce access to long-term services, including home and community-based supports, affecting low-income individuals with complex health needs.
Other health programs on the line
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Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): The HHS budget will drop to $93.8 billion in 2026, a 26.2% cut from the previous fiscal year.
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Make America Healthy Again (MAHA): With an expected budget of $500 million, the initiative aims to tackle issues related to nutrition, physical activity, healthy lifestyles, over-reliance on medication and treatments, the effects of new technological habits, environmental impacts, and food and drug quality and safety. It also supports the creation of MAHA food boxes that would be filled with commodities sourced from domestic farmers and given directly to American households.
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Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA): Funding for HRSA will be reduced by $1.73 billion, with cuts to maternal and child health programs ($274 million) and workforce programs ($1 billion reduction).
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): The CDC’s proposed budget is $4 billion, down from $9.2 billion the previous year. The agency would shift focus to core functions like infectious disease surveillance and public health infrastructure, while cutting or consolidating programs the administration finds unnecessary.
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National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH’s funding is being slashed by $18 billion to refocus research activities in line with the president’s commitment to MAHA. It also eliminates funding for the National Institute of Minority and Health Disparities and retains the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).6
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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): SAMHSA faces a $1.1 billion cut, along with several grant reductions that the administration believes lack national impact.6
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Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR): The proposed budget eliminates $240 in funding for the Hospital Preparedness Program, which supports hospitals in responding to public health emergencies.6
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ): The agency faces a $129 million funding cut, targeting grants the administration considers duplicative or wasteful.
These cuts won’t just impact the state budgets; they’ll strain entire communities and the healthcare system as a whole. If you believe health is a right, not a privilege, now is the time to stay informed, speak up, and advocate for policies that protect public health.
Medicaid Information
Medicaid Information
Medicaid Information
Medicaid Information
Medicaid Information
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