The Health of America - Poster of the Week
- politicalgraphics
- May 23
- 2 min read
The Health of America
Winston Tseng
Digital Print, 2019
New York, NY
109220
House Republicans pushed a budget bill through the House that will slash $1 trillion from U.S. safety net programs, including Medicaid, while providing $4.5 trillion in tax breaks for the rich. It barely passed the House 215-214. If the Senate passes this bill, millions of Americans will lose access to many lifesaving benefits.
The bill will reduce federal support for Medicaid by $700 billion over 10 years, impacting more than 10 million people. Those most likely to be affected include senior citizens, people with disabilities, and caregivers.
The absence of affordable and accessible health care creates life-threatening conditions. Medical debt—a uniquely American phenomenon—would be unimaginable in other wealthy countries. In the U.S., many people with good insurance find it only lasts as long as they hold their current job and maintain their health. The largest numbers of people entering into medical bankruptcy are fully insured. A 2019 study found that 66.5% of all bankruptcies were tied to medical issues—either because of high costs for care, or time out of work. More than half a million families go bankrupt every year because of medical bills and related health issues.
Meanwhile, health industries such as insurance, hospital and pharmaceutical corporations rake in billions annually. These same corporations invest more money in lobbying than any other special interest.
Medicaid, despite its limits, has been a lifesaving program. People who received Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) were 21% less likely to die, and states that chose to expand Medicaid saved 27,400 lives between 2010 and 2022.
Contact your Senators now! Demand that they save lifesaving support for millions of Americans! NOW!
This poster by Winston Tseng is included in CSPG’s latest exhibition Subvertisements: Using Ads & Logos for Protest & Solidarity on view at Mercado la Paloma starting this Saturday May 24th, open daily Su-Th 9am-9pm, Fr & Sa 9am-10pm.
Winston Tseng will also be a panelist on Not for Sale: Subverting Ads to Take Action, a virtual panel discussion on Thursday, June 12 at 4pm (PT).
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