The Defense of Medicaid and the Right to Health Care for All

Nijmie Zakkiyyah From the Nonviolent Medicaid Army, she explains the cuts to Medicaid and how communities across the country are organizing to defend access to health care.

At Milpa, we continue to raise our voices for health as a human right, not a privilege. In this conversation with Nijmie Zakkiyyah, member of the Nonviolent Medicaid Army and Put People First PA, we talk about the ongoing attacks on the Medicaid program, which have left millions without medical coverage since 2023. Nijmie explains how these policies driven by both Democrats and Republicans are part of a system that benefits the rich while punishing the poor.

Despite this reality, the movement continues to grow: communities in more than 13 states are organizing to defend their right to health care. Through collective action like mass appeals that have helped hundreds regain Medicaid they show that grassroots organizing truly works.

Nijmie reminds us that the fight for Medicaid is the fight for life itself, and that only by educating ourselves, uniting, and resisting together can we build a health care system that puts people over profit.