Article Summary –
Mitchell Berman, the Democratic nominee for Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District, emphasizes the personal impact of healthcare policy, citing his mother’s experience with colon cancer and her dependence on Medicaid as a critical safety net. Berman criticizes the $1 trillion Medicaid cuts under the budget law signed by President Donald Trump in 2025, arguing they will harm many people due to reduced access and coverage, while his opponent, Republican Rep. Bryan Steil, supports the law’s new work requirements and eligibility changes. Berman advocates for restoring expired tax credits for ACA marketplace premiums and supports a government health insurance option to lower costs, contrasting with Steil’s opposition to these measures.
Medicaid gave Mitchell Berman more time with his mother after she was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer, says the Democratic nominee for Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District.
Berman’s healthcare policy discussions are deeply personal, stemming from his time as an ER nurse and witnessing his mother face denial of a necessary procedure by her insurer. Unable to afford it, she later needed it urgently and was diagnosed with cancer at 49. The insurer then raised her premiums beyond reach, leading her to Medicaid.
“Medicaid was my mom’s safety net,” Berman told the Wisconsin Independent. “It gave her eight more years, allowing her to dance at my wedding and hold her first grandchild.”
His mother’s story influences Berman’s view on the projected $1 trillion Medicaid cuts, part of a budget law President Donald Trump signed in 2025. KFF projected Wisconsin might lose $7 billion in federal Medicaid funding over a decade.
Berman challenges incumbent Republican Rep. Bryan Steil, in office since 2019. Steil supported the budget law, named the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Steil’s campaign refuted Medicaid cuts in Wisconsin, calling the claims false in a statement to the Wisconsin Independent.
The law enforces new Medicaid work requirements and adds frequent checks, impacting financing methods. The Congressional Budget Office predicts 10 million more uninsured, with a $1 trillion funding reduction by 2034.
Steil’s campaign criticizes Berman for opposing 20-hour work requirements for Medicaid benefits.
Kiley McLean, a social welfare expert at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, argued work requirements often fail to boost employment but create bureaucratic hurdles, causing eligible people to lose coverage.
Steil’s campaign claims Wisconsin got $1 billion extra due to a state budget change. Wisconsin Public Radio reported that, pre-2025 budget law, state leaders raised hospital fees, allowing more federal matching funds.
Berman, who served 11 years with U.S. Veterans Affairs, resigned to run for Congress and supports extending ACA tax credits and a public health insurance option to enhance competition.
Steil opposed extending subsidies; the House passed it with some Republican support, but the Senate did not act. Steil previously said the ACA had failed.
The Wisconsin Independent reported that residents faced rising premiums after tax credits lapsed.
Berman says pre-ACA, the uninsured or underinsured frequented ERs as primary care, delaying treatment until conditions worsened. On the campaign trail, he meets those at risk of losing insurance or affected by Medicaid cuts.
“It’s frustrating to see people in my mom’s situation from a decade ago,” Berman said. “We aren’t progressing, and that motivates me to prevent similar family hardships.”
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