Rachel Gershon
@otherrbg.bsky.social
Lawyer and Medicaid/Medicare/SNAP/SSI nerd. I've helped people navigate health insurance and public benefits since 2004. We need to make it easier.
Views my own. DFTBA
Views my own. DFTBA
Reposted by Rachel Gershon
Imagine your patient shows up at her cardiologist in January only to learn her Medicare Advantage plan no longer covers that doctor.
Plans change their provider networks every year, so it's essential to review your coverage during Medicare open enrollment, happening now through December 7.
Plans change their provider networks every year, so it's essential to review your coverage during Medicare open enrollment, happening now through December 7.
Open Enrollment for 2026 Coverage through Medicare & the Marketplace—Basics for Advocates - Justice in Aging
Learn about the Medicare and Marketplace Open Enrollment Periods (OEPs) for the 2026 plan year and get tips for choosing affordable coverage options for older adults.
justiceinaging.org
November 18, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Imagine your patient shows up at her cardiologist in January only to learn her Medicare Advantage plan no longer covers that doctor.
Plans change their provider networks every year, so it's essential to review your coverage during Medicare open enrollment, happening now through December 7.
Plans change their provider networks every year, so it's essential to review your coverage during Medicare open enrollment, happening now through December 7.
Reposted by Rachel Gershon
You were incredible, Alice Wong, and it was a blessing to have collaborated with you on projects, to have read your words and to have heard your voice, as full of life and passion and joy and rage as it was.
You made a difference—so much of a difference.
Rest always in peace, and always in power.
You made a difference—so much of a difference.
Rest always in peace, and always in power.
November 15, 2025 at 7:34 AM
You were incredible, Alice Wong, and it was a blessing to have collaborated with you on projects, to have read your words and to have heard your voice, as full of life and passion and joy and rage as it was.
You made a difference—so much of a difference.
Rest always in peace, and always in power.
You made a difference—so much of a difference.
Rest always in peace, and always in power.
Reposted by Rachel Gershon
‘Death remains my intimate shadow partner. It has been with me since birth, always hovering close by. I understand one day we will finally waltz together into the ether. I hope when that time comes, I die with the satisfaction of a life well-lived, unapologetic, joyful, & full of love.’
—Alice Wong
—Alice Wong
November 15, 2025 at 6:12 AM
‘Death remains my intimate shadow partner. It has been with me since birth, always hovering close by. I understand one day we will finally waltz together into the ether. I hope when that time comes, I die with the satisfaction of a life well-lived, unapologetic, joyful, & full of love.’
—Alice Wong
—Alice Wong
No one should go hungry. SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) is a particularly powerful program for making lives better:
November 2, 2025 at 3:40 PM
No one should go hungry. SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) is a particularly powerful program for making lives better:
Reposted by Rachel Gershon
One more thread on a new provision in Senate reconciliation bill that Senate GOP will misleadingly tout as expanding access to home- and community-based services for seniors and people with disabilities (section 71123) but in context of the bill, it won't be meaningful (1/x)
June 28, 2025 at 5:24 PM
One more thread on a new provision in Senate reconciliation bill that Senate GOP will misleadingly tout as expanding access to home- and community-based services for seniors and people with disabilities (section 71123) but in context of the bill, it won't be meaningful (1/x)
June 25, 2025 at 2:08 PM
The reconciliation bill currently in the Senate will penalize people for having disabilities, for caregiving for loved ones, and for losing their jobs. Here are two stories of where these policies already caused stress and disability. #Medicaid #JobLossPenalty
June 13, 2025 at 2:42 PM
The reconciliation bill currently in the Senate will penalize people for having disabilities, for caregiving for loved ones, and for losing their jobs. Here are two stories of where these policies already caused stress and disability. #Medicaid #JobLossPenalty
Reposted by Rachel Gershon
Losing Medicaid's financial assistance & the cascading consequences of that loss, is just one of the myriad of ways in which, as @otherrbg.bsky.social states, the reconciliation bill finds "savings built on the backs of seniors and people with disabilities." news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-a...
‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Threatens Medicare, Medicaid Enrollees
Nearly 1.4 million medically fragile, low-income dual Medicare and Medicaid enrollees could find it harder to retain a valuable prescription drug subsidy if the Republican House reconciliation bill be...
news.bloomberglaw.com
June 2, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Losing Medicaid's financial assistance & the cascading consequences of that loss, is just one of the myriad of ways in which, as @otherrbg.bsky.social states, the reconciliation bill finds "savings built on the backs of seniors and people with disabilities." news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-a...
Reposted by Rachel Gershon
They say never read the comments, but the responses to this piece underline just how difficult it is for people to maintain access to health insurance in America even before the GOP makes it even harder.
May 23, 2025 at 5:36 PM
They say never read the comments, but the responses to this piece underline just how difficult it is for people to maintain access to health insurance in America even before the GOP makes it even harder.
Reposted by Rachel Gershon
The invoice for the very bad deal. Call Congress before they vote to send the bill for their tax giveaways to seniors and other low-income people who rely on Medicaid and SNAP.
Take from the poor, give to the rich. CBO distributional analysis of… | Jennifer Lav
Take from the poor, give to the rich. CBO distributional analysis of reconciliation bill lays it out.
Those are decreases in household resources due to Medicaid and SNAP cuts for the lowest income 1...
www.linkedin.com
May 21, 2025 at 2:37 AM
The invoice for the very bad deal. Call Congress before they vote to send the bill for their tax giveaways to seniors and other low-income people who rely on Medicaid and SNAP.
Reposted by Rachel Gershon
The CBO finds that if the Reconciliation Bill goes through:
-7.6 million people would lose coverage because of Medicaid changes
-1 million would lose it because of changes to the ACA from E&C
-2.1 million would lose it because of changes by Ways and Means
www.cbo.gov/publication/...
-7.6 million people would lose coverage because of Medicaid changes
-1 million would lose it because of changes to the ACA from E&C
-2.1 million would lose it because of changes by Ways and Means
www.cbo.gov/publication/...
Estimated Budgetary Effects of a Bill to Provide for Reconciliation Pursuant to Title II of H. Con. Res. 14, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
As ordered reported by the House Committee on the Budget on May 18, 2025
www.cbo.gov
May 20, 2025 at 10:34 PM
The CBO finds that if the Reconciliation Bill goes through:
-7.6 million people would lose coverage because of Medicaid changes
-1 million would lose it because of changes to the ACA from E&C
-2.1 million would lose it because of changes by Ways and Means
www.cbo.gov/publication/...
-7.6 million people would lose coverage because of Medicaid changes
-1 million would lose it because of changes to the ACA from E&C
-2.1 million would lose it because of changes by Ways and Means
www.cbo.gov/publication/...
Reposted by Rachel Gershon
Budget reconciliation SNAP cuts shift large costs to states at same time state use of provider taxes will be restricted and make it more difficult to finance states’ share of #Medicaid costs. States have to balance their budgets so inevitable result will be severe cuts to SNAP and Medicaid.
Here's how: This bill would require states to pay at least 5% of SNAP food benefits starting in 2028, with some owing up to 25%. States have been sounding the alarm that they can’t absorb this federal funding cut & it would lead to benefit cuts, eligibility restrictions, or both.
May 13, 2025 at 3:06 AM
Budget reconciliation SNAP cuts shift large costs to states at same time state use of provider taxes will be restricted and make it more difficult to finance states’ share of #Medicaid costs. States have to balance their budgets so inevitable result will be severe cuts to SNAP and Medicaid.
Reposted by Rachel Gershon
The House Ag bill released tonight would take away or cut #SNAP food benefits for millions of low-income people struggling to afford groceries—families w/ children, seniors, ppl w/ disabilities, veterans & workers in low-wage jobs.
May 13, 2025 at 2:26 AM
The House Ag bill released tonight would take away or cut #SNAP food benefits for millions of low-income people struggling to afford groceries—families w/ children, seniors, ppl w/ disabilities, veterans & workers in low-wage jobs.
Reposted by Rachel Gershon
And we expect the Energy & Commerce Committee to repeal #Medicaid rules that will take cost-sharing assistance from ~1.4 million people with Medicare, making it unaffordable for low-income seniors & people with disabilities to see the doctor or meet their basic needs. #ProtectMedicaid
May 10, 2025 at 1:49 PM
And we expect the Energy & Commerce Committee to repeal #Medicaid rules that will take cost-sharing assistance from ~1.4 million people with Medicare, making it unaffordable for low-income seniors & people with disabilities to see the doctor or meet their basic needs. #ProtectMedicaid
Reposted by Rachel Gershon
Make no mistake: Republicans in Congress are coming after #Medicare too!
The legislative text they will consider next week would strip Medicare coverage from immigrants who have been living, working, and paying taxes in the U.S. for decades.
The legislative text they will consider next week would strip Medicare coverage from immigrants who have been living, working, and paying taxes in the U.S. for decades.
Medicare in the Ways and Means reconciliation proposal. Let's say you are from El Salvador or Nicaragua. You could have been living and working in the U.S. for over 20 years. That's twice the amount required to be eligible for Medicare. You've paid thousands and thousands of dollars in FICA taxes
The Ways and Means mark also seems (it's confusing) to exclude many types of lawfully residing immigrants with qualifying work quarters from Medicare.
So basically you can be here legally, pay for years and years into Medicare, and get nothing out of back when you need health care.
So basically you can be here legally, pay for years and years into Medicare, and get nothing out of back when you need health care.
May 10, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Make no mistake: Republicans in Congress are coming after #Medicare too!
The legislative text they will consider next week would strip Medicare coverage from immigrants who have been living, working, and paying taxes in the U.S. for decades.
The legislative text they will consider next week would strip Medicare coverage from immigrants who have been living, working, and paying taxes in the U.S. for decades.
Imagine working 90 hours in a month and still losing Medicaid due to work requirements.
Those almost losing Medicaid due to work requirements included workers - people who worked 90+ hours a month. "I didn’t make the hour requirement, so I figured, ‘Why report it?’ So I don’t know how the system worked to report the hours…I got very close. I had upper 90s, so just a few hours short.”
April 30, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Imagine working 90 hours in a month and still losing Medicaid due to work requirements.
Work requirements cut Medicaid for working people.
Work requirements cut Medicaid for parents and caregivers.
Work requirements cut Medicaid for people with disabilities and chronic conditions. #Medicaid
Work requirements cut Medicaid for parents and caregivers.
Work requirements cut Medicaid for people with disabilities and chronic conditions. #Medicaid
April 30, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Work requirements cut Medicaid for working people.
Work requirements cut Medicaid for parents and caregivers.
Work requirements cut Medicaid for people with disabilities and chronic conditions. #Medicaid
Work requirements cut Medicaid for parents and caregivers.
Work requirements cut Medicaid for people with disabilities and chronic conditions. #Medicaid
Reposted by Rachel Gershon
Breaking: Today, we filed a lawsuit against the Social Security Administration and DOGE for creating roadblocks that prevent Americans from getting their retirement and disability benefits.
🧵Thread
🧵Thread
April 2, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Breaking: Today, we filed a lawsuit against the Social Security Administration and DOGE for creating roadblocks that prevent Americans from getting their retirement and disability benefits.
🧵Thread
🧵Thread
Reposted by Rachel Gershon
Today, we filed a lawsuit against Social Security to ensure 73 million people have access to the benefits they are entitled to. People rely on their benefits to pay for housing, food, and basic needs, and SSA is also responsible for facilitating access to Medicare & Medicaid. Read more 👇
Breaking: Today, we filed a lawsuit against the Social Security Administration and DOGE for creating roadblocks that prevent Americans from getting their retirement and disability benefits.
🧵Thread
🧵Thread
April 2, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Today, we filed a lawsuit against Social Security to ensure 73 million people have access to the benefits they are entitled to. People rely on their benefits to pay for housing, food, and basic needs, and SSA is also responsible for facilitating access to Medicare & Medicaid. Read more 👇
Reposted by Rachel Gershon
Unable to speak on a phone call due to a disability? Our Proxy Calling system is open for today’s call-in! Want to help someone else make a call? Consider signing up to be a proxy caller.
Proxy Caller Project
Many disabled people in the U.S. can’t make phone calls because of disability. Our Congress members unfairly prioritize phone calls over emails or letters—but all of us deserve to be heard. The…
proxycaller.org
March 18, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Unable to speak on a phone call due to a disability? Our Proxy Calling system is open for today’s call-in! Want to help someone else make a call? Consider signing up to be a proxy caller.
Reposted by Rachel Gershon
Work requirements are fundamentally flawed policy. Every study shows that they 1) kick eligible people off Medicaid; 2) cost a ton to administer & 3) do not increase work. It's a policy intentionally designed to strip people of coverage while giving lawmakers a facade of acting in good faith.
In AR & NH "Most of those not identified automatically were disenrolled or slated to be disenrolled, even though survey data found nearly all enrollees subject to work requirements already worked or had exemption-related characteristics." #HandsOffMedicaid
Assessing Potential Coverage Losses among Medicaid Expansion Enrollees under a Federal Medicaid Work Requirement
We assess potential coverage losses under federal Medicaid work requirements for adults ages 19 to 55 enrolled in the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion.
www.urban.org
March 19, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Work requirements are fundamentally flawed policy. Every study shows that they 1) kick eligible people off Medicaid; 2) cost a ton to administer & 3) do not increase work. It's a policy intentionally designed to strip people of coverage while giving lawmakers a facade of acting in good faith.
A couple of Georgia examples of individuals who could not get health care because of work requirements:
March 18, 2025 at 10:59 PM
A couple of Georgia examples of individuals who could not get health care because of work requirements: