By Staff
Dr. Marsha Raulerson, like many physicians in Brewton, has seen many patients over the years who need the healthcare services funded by Medicaid dollars.
Raulerson testified before a U.S. House committee Thursday about the need to protect that money from cuts proposed by the Bush administration.
The bill that would block the cuts has bipartisan support, with both a Democrat and a Republican sponsoring the legislation. Raulerson knew exactly what she was talking about when she told members of that House committee about the need for Medicaid funding - about 70 percent of the young patients in her pediatrics office need Medicaid services. To her, they are not just numbers, they are names - and they should be to us and to the politicians in charge of funding as well.
Raulerson's impassioned testimony should be enough to convince the members of the House committee of the need for this bill, which would stave off cuts for one year until Congress can study their effects. We hope that these proposed cuts will never happen, because patients in Brewton and beyond need the various services the Medicaid services provide.
Not only is that Medicaid funding important for our community, Raulerson's practice makes a huge impact on so many children in the Brewton area. Her testimony - and her dedication to the issue - is another reminder of how much she and her husband have done for healthcare in Brewton.
We're proud that she represented not only our small town but more than 60,000 pediatricians across the country when she spoke on behalf of millions of vulnerable children - and we're impressed with her dedication and her service to this community.
We can't imagine that the Congressmen who heard from her Thursday were not impressed as well - and we hope they heard the names, not just the numbers, of those in need.